No Mistakes
by Shika352617
Summary: First story. Samus Aran struggles with her inner uncertainty about her feelings for Link. Sorry, description sucks. I originally intended for this to have only 2 chapters, but decided to take it further. Rated M for strong language and sexual content later on.
1. Chapter 1

No Mistakes

A SSBB Fanfic

Chapter 1

Samus Aran was bleeding. Cursing herself for being careless, she struggled across her chamber to her bathroom to look at herself. This was the fourth time in 2 days she had cut herself with her own glitched-up beam sword.

_I don't know what the fuck Zelda did to it _Samus thought furiously, _but I am never letting her use anything of mine again._

Samus winced as she remembered how Zelda had borrowed her beam sword during a tournament and after being boiled in Kirby's melting pot multiple times, the weapon was now worse than useless.

_Then again, it wasn't her fault._ Samus acknowledged ruefully. _At least Link was understanding._

Samus blushed without realizing it. Ever since first meeting Hyrulean Hero, it had been awkward for her to talk to him. Link was a very attractive young man. She had seen him bare chested several times, and even though he was covered in multiple scars, she didn't think this made him unattractive. On the contrary, it attracted her more, for it was quite obvious that Link had been places and been through a lot of hell in each place.

But more than anything, he was understanding. He, at least, understood that her experiences in fighting had left her a different person. And he, at least respected her privacy. Unlike the other men around here.

Samus couldn't help but scowl. Ever since she had finally started fighting in her Zero Suit, every testosterone-driven male around her had been ogling her body. Link was one of the few, along with Marth, Ike, Falco, Kirby, and Sonic, who was intelligent enough and sensitive enough to respect her privacy. The others...not so much.

Samus often cursed herself for having such an attractive body. She knew it wasn't her fault, but she still felt like someone ought to send her into explosion for having such a nigh-on-perfect body. She had regretted fighting in her Zero Suit from day one, but now it was too late to change that. It had its benefits, but the liabilities far outweighed them.

The buzzer of her chamber door shattered her thoughts.

"Hey, Samus, you alright in there? It sounded like a Wire Frame got loose in there."

It was Marth.

"I'm fine, my beam sword just went faulty again." Samus replied.

"Again?! That's 4 times in less than 48 hours!"

"Don't remind me, Marth!"

"I'm just making an observation, take it as you will."

_Smartass._ "Well, is there a particular reason why we're communicating like this?"

"Thought you'd want help with your cut?"

"No thanks, I'll be fine."

"Okay. I guess I'll see you at breakfast."

As Marth's footsteps retreated, Samus thought Marth's relationship with Zelda.

It had been rather unexpected when Samus had heard that Marth and Zelda were dating. A lot of people had assumed Marth was gay and that Zelda was a lesbian, and to have both assumptions proved wrong simultaneously was a shocker to say least.

Samus shook her head and focused on getting ready as she searched her closet for a clean set of underclothes. As she undid her bra, she thought of what Link had once called her. He had called her 'beautiful'. Not 'sexy' or 'hot' or 'curvaceous' or 'voluptuous' or 'busty' or 'Miss T & A' like the other morons had called her (as if she need reminding about her own physical beauty). He had said 'beautiful'. He was the only one who had ever called her that. That, for her, was a sign.

_He must really like me as a person._ Samus thought as she slid her arms into a new bra and clasped it. _I know, 'beautiful' is a physical description, but it's more than that. He's very shy around me. _This made her smile. Link always blushed when it came to talking about Samus. And she knew that it wasn't a blush because he was so enticed by her beauty. She knew it was a blush that meant he liked her as a person. _The only thing anyone else sees is my body_ Samus thought as she donned her Zero Suit.

Samus felt exposed even when wearing the Zero Suit, but it made no sense to wear her power suit for something as trivial as a morning meal. Samus suddenly realized that she'd been feeling vulnerable, which wasn't like her. _Geez, when did I start acting so...feminine? I'm supposed to be better than this._

* * *

Several hours later, Samus found herself on the treadmill, with her headphones blocking out all other sound. As Drowning Pool's "Bodies" blared through her phones, Samus took the speed up a notch, going from her average running speed of 5.7 mph to 7, giving her a chance to push her limit. She knew there was a high chance someone was peeking at her to watch her bouncing breasts and jiggling arse, but she didn't care. _Hell, if someone tried groping me just now, I'd love an excuse for a good fight._ If there was one thing Samus hated, it was groping without her permission, not that she'd give it anyway. As far as she was concerned, NO man would EVER have her permission to touch her personal areas. _Well...maybe except Link..._Samus found herself thinking and shook her head, trying to focus on her excursions on the treadmill.

It was too late. Her momentary distraction caused her to lose track of her rhythm and seconds later, Samus found herself flat on her stomach on the gym floor.

Samus suddenly found that someone was helping her up.

"Miss Aran, are you alright?"

Samus turned a deep shade of scarlet. Only one person EVER called her 'Miss Aran'. She slowly looked up and saw that it was Link who was standing over her helping her up. Link was blushing as well.

_Why's he blushing? _The thought had barely finished forming when Link turned around pointedly. "Miss Aran, I suggest you cover yourself." Samus looked down and yelped. The chest of her Zero Suit was gone. Samus immediately covered herself with her towel and took off to her chamber.

Unfortunately there was one obstacle that stood between her and her chamber. Captain Falcon.

"Hey there, hotness. This is pretty sudden for you."

Samus didn't bother responding and roundhouse kicked him right in the jaw before sprinting the last few meters to her chamber, locking it thoroughly before finally relaxing.

_Falcon set that up to happen, I know he did. No one else would be so bold with trying to strip me. I swear, I am going to kill him._


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Link couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed as Samus took off for her chamber. _She didn't even thank me. It's hard enough for me to just look at her, let alone help her up when the front of her suit is ripped off._

Link scowled. He knew it had been set up for this to happen and he had a very shrewd idea of who set it up. _Only the Captain would be so bold. He seems to be going further and further with each attempt to take off Miss Aran's clothes. I don't know where he learned respect, but he seems to have missed several points concerning women. No wonder he's still without a female companion._

Link turned to take in his surroundings in the gym that had been left behind in Samus's wake. The chest section of her Zero Suit was hanging on a hook just below the treadmill controls. As Link took a closer look, one of his metal-tipped arrows suddenly whipped from his quiver and stuck to it. _It's a magnet. The Captain must have gone through a lot of trouble to get this there. Miss Aran's Zero Suit is made of a metal-mesh fabric that is very hard to tear like that, which means this hook is so strongly magnetized that it takes very careful handling to avoid every metal object in here being attracted to it. _Link's scowl became more pronounced.

His thoughts were shattered by a familiar voice behind him.

"Hey, Link, you have any idea what's wrong with Samus? She's refusing to come out of her chamber right now."

Link turned to see Ike. "Apparently the Captain set up a magnet that tore the chest of her Zero Suit when she lost track of her rhythm."

Ike frowned. "How would a magnet do that?"

"Do have any idea as to what her Zero Suit is made of?"

"No, not really..."

"It's made of a unique metal-mesh fabric that is comfortable and yet durable. Only a strong magnet like the one on her treadmill would be able to tear it like this."

Ike took a closer look. "Hmmmm...Falcon set this up?"

"He's the only one I'd think of who would be this bold about it."

"When will he EVER learn?"

"At this point, it isn't a question of when. It's a question of whether he'll learn at all."

Ike gave a non-commenting grunt to this as he stood up and left.

Link noticed Samus's iPod was still on the treadmill. _She must have forgotten it. And no wonder, considering what the Captain just put her through._

Link picked up the iPod, wrapping the headphones around it, wrenched the torn section of Samus's Zero Suit from the magnetic hook and hurried out.

* * *

Samus was refusing to leave her chamber and was just getting more and more steadily irritated by Falco Lombardi's attempts to talk to her.

"Are ya sure ya don't want to talk?"

"Falco, for the last fucking time, just leave me alone!"

"Come on, it couldn't have been THAT bad..."

"Really. How many times ave YOU ever had a chunk a clothing ripped off by a pervert?"

"Well..."

"Falco, just...just go away."

"Okay, fine. Just so you know, the mandatory meeting is in a few hours."

With that, Falco left. Samus sat seething in silence as she kept imaging different ways to beat Falcon into a pulp. _That asshole has REALLY got some nerve to pull a fucking stunt like that. I swear, if I find out he's been peeping at me or some other perverted bullshit, I'm gonna..._

Samus's thoughts were shattered by her buzzer.

"WHAT?!"

"Miss Aran?"

Samus froze. _Link..._

"Miss Aran? You left your portable music-playing device in the gym..."

Samus shook herself, looked around and found a hoodie to put over her still-exposed chest. She'd been too livid to bother changing. She then went to her door and opened it.

"Thanks Link. And by the way, it's called an 'iPod'" Samus said, trying to suppress a small laugh, "easier to say."

Link seemed to read her thoughts because he laughed softly. "Well, if you say so. I'm still getting used to this world."

Samus raised an eyebrow slightly. "And you've been here how long?"

Link laughed again and shrugged. "I would not know."

Samus finally smiled and took her iPod from Link's hands. "Thanks for bringing it. I would have been missing this a lot later."

Link returned her smile and blushed slightly. _She has such a beautiful smile..._

Samus blushed a bit as well. _What a smile...who'd ever guess someone like Link had a smile like that..._

"OI!"

The moment was shattered by a shout from down the hallway. Link, yanked from his thoughts, looked down the hall to see Solid Snake. "Snake? Is something wrong."

Snake laughed. "Nah, just seeing if you two were still on earth. Hey, listen, Link, you said you'd spar with me today, we gonna do that or what?"

Link grinned. "I'll be there shortly. Don't start without me."

"Wouldn't dream of it!"

As Snake left, Link turned back to Samus and said rather apologetically, "I'd better go. Snake isn't one to kept waiting."

Samus smiled. "It's fine, go ahead. And by the way, Link?"

"Yes, Miss Aran?"

"Just call me Samus."

Link smiled and blushed a bit more. "I'll remember that," he said as he turned and sprinted down the hall, moving rather quickly for someone carrying so much gear..

Samus didn't know why, but she felt her smile faltering. _Why is it so difficult for me to be comfortable around him? I've dealt with far worse than him and yet...I just can't get myself to look him in the eye._

This was true. Samus hadn't looked Link directly in the eye throughout the exchange. _What is wrong with me? I'm better than this! _

Samus sighed. She knew that deep down, she was developing feelings for the Hyrulean Hero. One day, she knew, she'd have to reconcile with those feelings.

_But how?_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Link and Snake were staring each other down, each thinking of ways to take out the other.

_His biggest advantage is his more advanced weaponry. He's not very fast, but then, neither am I. His jump is about medium, but he backs it up with his minimized helicopter. But there he's at a disadvantage, for he can't use his arms. The biggest bother is his homing missile. He rarely misses his target. But then again, it takes a few seconds to charge. Whatever happens, I can NOT let him get the Smash Ball_,_ for if he does, the fight is over for me. This will be a tough fight. I think the best thing to do would be to keep him where he least expects me to, which is on the ground, where he has the field advantage. If I stay vigilant, I can probably block his grenades and have enough time to retaliate with a bomb of my own, which, if it works right, will distract him just long enough for me to take him from the air, which will damage him enough to gain enough time to knock him out. But then, if the bomb doesn't work, I'll have to use my arrows or my boomerang to get him in the head, which will disorient him long enough for me to get him with a frontal assault. Given enough time, I'll deal enough damage to knock him out with an aerial attack._ Such were Link's thoughts.

Snake was thinking similarly. _He can't afford to keep me on the ground, it's where I have the field advantage. He'll most likely try to get me into the air where I can't use my arms. From there he can strike from below with his sword or a bomb. Well, that's out of the question. So I'll have to deal some damage with my grenades or my missile launcher. But it wouldn't do to forget that he has bombs of his own that he can retaliate with in the event that my grenades fail. Smash Ball is not an option for him. That TriForce Slash will be the end of this fight if he gets to it. He's at his most destructive when he strikes me from above. So even on the ground, I'm vulnerable, but not if I stay sharp. His projectile weapons have a fair range the pretty much eclipses the entirety of this stage. If he employs those, my only option is to dodge. If I react quickly enough, I could probably take his feet out from under him...no, bad idea. His gear adds too much weight to him to try that, and he's well armored, too. So I guess–_

BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!

The buzzer on the training room door shattered both their thoughts. Snake flinched and cursed under his breath. Link smirked, knowing that Snake's distraction would have allowed Link to gain the upper hand. _No mistakes in Brawl, Snake. _

It was Snake who answered the buzzer. "Yo, what is it?"

"Yo, Snake, it's Falco, is Link in there?"

Link answered. "I'm here, Mr. Lombardi. Is something wrong?"

"Yo, Link, Samus want to talk to you in her chamber when you're free."

_She wants to talk to me in private? _Confused, but not showing it, Link replied, "Thank you for telling me, Mr. Lombardi. Please let her know I will be there as soon as I can."

"Will do, my man. By the way, ya might wanna watch ya back. Snake might take advantage."

"Eh?" Link turned around and immediately received a high kick directly in the jaw, knocking Link off balance. _So much for no mistakes._

* * *

About an hour later, Link exited his chamber wearing lighter clothing and leaving his weapons in his chamber. _I wonder what Samus wants to talk about._

As he made his way to Samus's chamber, he steadily got more nervous. _How is it that I can deal with someone like Gannon or Zant and yet when it comes to women I'm nervous like nothing else? It makes no sense!_

At Samus's door, Link drew a deep breath and hit the buzzer.

"Who's there?"

The sound of Samus's voice immediately made Link turn red. _For the Goddess' sakes, what is wrong with me?_

Link took a deep breathe and, hoping his nervousness didn't show in his tone, replied, "Samus? It's Link."

Seconds later, Samus's door slid open and Samus as standing there, dressed casually in jeans and a t-shirt with a dark red vest. She smiled and turned light pink seeing Link there. _Goddamnit! I'm getting nervous already! Snap out of it, Samus! You need to stay focused!_

"Hey, Link. How was your spar with Snake?"

"It could have gone better. I was taken off guard more times than normal, but I'll just have to work at it. What did you want to talk about?"

Samus turned slightly pink again and said, "Come on in, I wanna talk in private."

Link entered her chamber and blushed. _I'm alone with Samus in her chamber. I must stay focused. _Seated himself in a chair next to Samus's desk.

Samus sat on her couch by her artificial window. She had programmed it to show the galaxy. She took a deep breath and said, "Link, how do you think a man should act towards women?"

This question caught Link off guard. _Of all the questions I was expecting, THAT was definitely not one of them._

Link cleared his mind and answered, "Well, personally, I believe that a man should see a woman as someone of importance. Someone with an intellectual capacity equal to his own. Someone with thoughts, hopes and dreams. To me, a woman is more than the opposite gender of a man. I believe that a woman is someone to be treated like a human being, for despite her different anatomy and different way of thinking, a woman is still a human being."

Samus stared at Link. _He's serious. He believes that women are more than collections of body parts. _

"Why do you ask, Samus?"

Samus sighed. "Because you're the only person I know with kind of view. You see me and other women as human beings. If more men had views like yours, this world would be a much better place."

Link sat perfectly still.

Samus continued on. "Most of the men around here only see me as a body. Before I fought in my Zero Suit, every respected me so much more than they do now. The moment I shed my Power Suit to test my agility, nearly every male around here was ogling me as though my face was non-existent. You're the only one who still respects me as a person...and...and..."

Link realized with a shock that Samus was crying. _This isn't like her? What happened?_

Link leaned forward and placed his hand on hers, a gesture he would never have tried with any other woman, and one that he'd normally be too nervous to make. But at this moment, the urge to comfort Samus was more powerful than his nervousness.

Samus looked down, startled. Link's hand was rather rough, having dealt with weapons since he was ten years old, but she was even more startled by the look in his eyes.

"Samus," Link said, and she heard the emotion in his voice, "I still respect you. I always have. A change in garb would never change my respect for you. You're Samus Aran. A hero in your own right, and a very good person. You understand the hardships of fighting for those you care for, and you are one of the few who understands it as I do. I feel that I can speak with you about anything, because you will listen to it and understand my view."

Samus stared Link in the eyes and realized what he was trying so hard to say and the moment she realized what he was thinking, the words came from her mouth before she had time to realize what she was saying.

"I love you, Link."

Link immediately turned scarlet. "You...you..." Of all things that Samus could have ever said to him, this was the least expected. She had never been this emotional before.

"Link, you are the only person who has ever truly understood me. You know better than anyone else here how living a life of fighting for your life from the time you're barely a teenager can change your life and your view on everything about it. You're the only one I can truly be myself around. You're the only one I can express my true feelings to, and I know in my heart that your respect for me will never lessen because you don't see emotion as a weakness."

Link couldn't believe what he was hearing, and yet he knew none of this was fake. "Samus...I...I love you too..."

Samus looked down at Link's hand. "Link...why are you still holding my hand?"

"Isn't this how you show a person you love that you care about them?"

Samus smiled. "A better way would be this..." And with that, Samus threw her arms around Link's neck and kissed him square on the lips.

Link instantly turned beat red as Samus's lips pressed against his. As she broke the kiss, Link smiled and kissed her in return, placing his arms around her and hugging her closer as he kissed her deeply. Samus responded by tightening her arms around his neck and kissing him more deeply as he continued kissing her.

_I'm kissing Samus...I've confessed my feelings for her and I'm kissing her...I've never felt this happy in my life..._Link thought as he continued kissing Samus.

_What happened to me...I'm usually more composed than this...damn men..._Samus thought ruefully as she continued kissing him.

BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!

The two of them jumped apart as Samus's door buzzer shattered the romantic moment. "Who's there?" they said in unison.

"It's Marth. A meeting's been called for everyone here. Something about several Wire Frames getting lose."

Samus and Link stared at each other.

_Fuck! This just HAD to happen! We finally confess our feelings and we have to deal with Wire Frames._

Link was looking serious. _This can not be good._

Samus looked at Link nervously. Link looked Samus dead in the eyes and kisses her quickly on the lips and said softly, "We can finish this later. We should go deal with this."

Samus nodded, serious now herself. "I'll meet you in the conference room._"_

Link nodded and left her chamber, dashing towards his own chamber. As he left, Samus immediately began changing her clothes, donning her Zero Suit and Power Suit at top speed.

_I don't know who let the Wire Frames loose, but I'm not letting them get away without a fight._

* * *

**_Yup! Samus and Link confessed their feelings!_**

**_Please Review! Opinions and tips will be appreciated!_**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

As Link rushed to his chamber, his mind was working at top speed, trying deduce all possibilities of how Wire Frames could have gotten loose. Marth hadn't specified how many, and this was troubling to say least. There was normally a specification of how many Wire Frames could have gotten loose, and if there was one thing Marth was good at better than anyone else, it was gathering information. The fact that Marth had no idea what all this was about was unnerving.

Link burst into his chamber and immediately began donning all his equipment. Tunic, bow, bracers, greaves, gauntlets, hookshot, shield, bomb bag, boomerang, quiver, and his hat all flew into their correct places at top speed before Link dashed out his chamber, locking it, and taking off towards the SSB conference room faster than anyone would have guessed he'd go with all his gear.

Samus was waiting for him, donned in her Power Suit with her helmet under her left arm. She answered his question before he could ask it. "No one has any idea of what's going on. Fox called the meeting, so he knows. No one else has any idea."

"Has he said anything?"

"Not a word."

"Well we'd better get in or we'll miss it." Samus nodded and the two of them entered the room to find the meeting yet to start.

"Ah, Samus, Link." Fox acknowledged, "Perfect timing. Now that we're all here, let's get started."

"Will someone fucking tell me what the fuck's going on?!" barked Wolf.

"If you'll stay silent for a few minutes, I will," Fox replied cooly, "Now, a lot of you, like Wolf here, are wondering what's going on and why I've called this meeting. Well, I will tell you. At about 1406 hours, security reported a mass break-out of Wire Frames from the Melee Containment Area."

"How many broke out?" piped up Lucas.

Fox inhaled. "Four hundred seventy-six."

A collective chill ran through the room. _So many_, thought Link.

Fox continued, "A break-out of this magnitude is unprecedented, and can only mean outside help was involved. The Wire Frames are programmed to attempt escape from enemy clutches, but only one in every three thousand ever succeed in figuring out how. Four hundred seventy-six of them escaping simultaneously is impossible for them to accomplish on their own. The only explanation is that someone let them loose, because it is against their programming to help one another."

Link took all of this in and leaned forward, troubled by this. _Mr. McCloud is right. The only plausible explanation was that someone let them out. But who would do that? _Link had a shrewd idea, and if the look on Sonic's face was anything to judge by, he was thinking the same thing. _So he's finally showing himself._

His thoughts were broken as Sonic stood.

"Yes, Sonic? Do you have anything to say?"

Sonic nodded. "I have an idea of who might have let the Wire Frames loose."

"Really. Care-a to-a enlighten us?" This comment was from Mario.

Sonic shot him a death glare before continuing. "I believe Shadow the Hedgehog let them loose."

Nearly everyone gave an exclamation of surprise. Only Ike, Marth, Fox, Falco, Link, Samus, Zelda, and Wolf didn't flinch. _They must have the same theory._ Samus thought.

"And what exactly brought you to that conclusion, Mr. Hedgehog?" Captain Falcon demanded.

"Only Shadow would be capable of releasing that many so quickly. His natural connection to the Chaos Emeralds gives him the ability to control time. With his ability, he could release 476 Wire Frames in a split second."

Fox spoke up. "It makes a lot of sense. Shadow's ability to stop time would allow him to pull this off without breaking a sweat."

"So who do we go after? The Wire Frames, or Shadow?" This was from Ness.

"We'll deal with Shadow after we take care of the Wire Frames. We can't hope to re-contain such a vast number, so our only option is to destroy them."

Link wasn't liking this. Not one bit. There were too many holes in the conclusion. Time stop or not, the facility would have detected Shadow's intrusion. Now that he thought about it, the intruder alarms hadn't gone off in nearly 4 years. No matter how fast Shadow could be, he couldn't be faster than light. Nothing was. It was physically impossible.

_Now that I think about it, only a member of the SSB could go into the Wire Frame containment area without triggering the alarms, time stop or not. That can only mean one of us let them loose. But who would do that?_

Samus glanced at Link's troubled expression. _He's thinking exactly what I am, I can tell_, Samus thought, _Shadow couldn't have done this, the intruder alarms would have gone off. Who could possibly have done this? _

_And why?_

* * *

**Yeah! 4 chapters in two days! WHOO!**

**Please review! **

**Hope you're all enjoying reading this as much as I'm enjoying writing it!**

**Updated note from 1/15/13: Hey guys, Chapter 5 will probably take awhile, there's a lotta crap going on at home, and i'm back at school (ugh) so that'll cut into my time. Don't worry! Chapter 5 will be up as soon as I can possibly get it up! Don't lose hope! Please review the story, I'm anxious for feedback! Anything you don't like? Say so! Any feedback is appreciated.**

**Stay tuned for Chapter 5 coming soon! **


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

As the meeting adjourned, Link gave Samus a significant look, and she nodded, understanding he wanted to talk in private. _He's most likely reached the same conclusion that I have. He probably wants to discuss it alone. _

As each person filed out of the conference room, Link hid behind a massive pillar and waited for Samus. He knew that she'd gotten his message. _If we understood one another any more, we'd read each other's minds._ He thought with a grin. Samus exited the conference room last and looked around for Link. Link made sure o wait until the coast was clear before saying in a harsh whisper, "Samus, over here."

Samus, seeing Link, glanced around to make sure everyone else was gone, and squeezed herself into the space where Link was. It was a rather tight pinch. They were between four massive pillars and the niche was just big enough for the two of them to squeeze in together. Despite the fact that she was in her Power Suit, Samus couldn't help but feel self-conscious about the size of her breasts in that small space.

"Couldn't you have picked somewhere more roomy?" Samus asked, not unpolitely.

"We need to speak where no one can listen. Our chambers would have too much liability for being overheard. This spot contains almost all of any sound that is made here. I put a bomb in here one time. No one heard a sound."

Samus couldn't help but be impressed. _He knows his stuff better than half the guys here. _Out loud, she asked, "Why did you wanna speak in private?"

Link frowned. "Sonic's theory is plausible, but there are too many holes in it. Time stop or no time stop, Shadow's entrance would have tripped the intruder alarms..."

"...and we would have been immediately alerted to his presence." Samus finished with a smile. "Which means that..."

"...only a member of the Super Smash Brothers...

"...could have turned the Wire Frames loose..."

"...thus meaning this is betrayal." Link was smiling too.

"So what do we do then?" Samus asked.

Link leaned against one of the pillars and thought hard. As he kept thinking, Samus could not help but look Link over, now that they were in such close quarters. He was perfectly built for being strong and fast at the same time. His gear added a good additional 50 pounds to his weight, but he carried it like it was part of him. _I guess the reason he slows it down is because of the sheer number of things he carries and how care he has to give each one of his items. _As Samus continued looking over, an image came unbidden to her mind: Laying on her bed, legs spread out as Link pumped his cock into her, her nails clawing at his back. Samus let this sequence play for a few seconds before realizing that, now, of all times, she was having sexual fantasies about Link. _What the fuck, Samus?! _She mentally berated herself, _Why are you thinking about something like that at a time like this?! He only confessed his love today! Why are you already having that kind of fantasy about him?!_

"Samus, are you alright?"

Link's voice shattered her thoughts instantly. Link was looking a little concerned.

"Sorry, I was lost in thought. Do you have any idea what we should do about this situation?"

Link nodded. "We're going to find Shadow the Hedgehog."

Samus didn't think she heard him correctly. "I thought we agreed he wasn't responsible?"

"He isn't. But he's more acquainted and knowledgeable about Dark Activity than we are. In fact, he was the one who realized the danger from Tabuu."

_That's true._ "So he might be able to deduce what happened?"

"It's possible. More likely, he'll be able to track any traces of dark energy. His natural connection to the Chaos Emeralds allows him to detect traces of dark energy. He could give us a lead on whoever did this."

_He's got a point...in more ways than one, _Samus thought, _No, Bad Samus! Don't start that again!_

Link noticed that Samus was blushing. _What's she blushing about?_

_I don't know if I can keep my thoughts under control for much longer...I don't know what's wrong with me, I've never had fantasies like this about ANYONE. _

"Samus?"

Samus looked at Link. "Yeah?"

"What's wrong?"

"What makes you think something's wrong?"

"You're turning red as a cherry tomato. Do you have a fever or something?"

Samus had to fight down a laugh at this question. _That is so typical Link, _Samus thought, _to think that I have a fever when I'm blushing because I'm having sexual fantasies about him when he's right in front of me._

"Samus...?"

There was concern in Link's voice now. Samus looked at his concerned face and decided to tell the truth. "Um...," Samus blushed, "I'm starting to fantasize about you_..._"

Link blinked. _Fantasizing about me? Now of all times? _Even as Link thought this, he couldn't help but think that Samus had a very beautiful body. _I mean, she IS very beautiful, but this isn't really the right top, I mean, time to being thinking like this. _Even as Link was thinking this, he was starting to blush as well.

_Now HE'S blushing too? What is he thinking? _Samus felt very awkward as she said, "Um...yeah..."

Link was feeling awkward as well. "Yeah..."

They were both silent for some time._ I don't think I can hold back much longer..._ Samus thought. "Um...Link..."

"Yes, Samus?"

"Um..." Samus was blushing furiously, "do you think...um...I mean, I know we only just confessed to each other not even 3 hours ago...but, um...do you think, you'd...want to...um...you know..."

Link blinked, even more surprised than before. _She's asking me if I want to have sexual intercourse with her...now that is DEFINITELY something I would never have imagined Samus Aran asking me. _Without realizing it, Link was starting become slowly aroused.

Samus was still furiously red. _I have no clue how to ask...are you supposed to even ask at all? What if he doesn't want to..._

Link inhaled slowly and said, "If...if you're sure that you want to, then..." Link blushed harder than Samus as he said his next words, "...I have no objection."

Samus stared at him for a split second before realizing he had said yes. She blushed hard as she took in his yes.

Link looked around. "I think we ought to find a better place though..."

Samus blinked before realizing he was saying they needed a more private place. "Would my chamber work?"

Link nodded, blushing hard. "That'll work."

* * *

**Yes! Chapter 5 is up! ****Chapter 6 will be up as soon as I can get it done. It's getting a bit late where I am now, and I have early rise tomorrow, so I won't be able to finish typing it tonight. I'll try to have it done by this weekend, and if not then, I will definitely have it do by next weekend.**

**Enjoy!**

**Please review!**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Link found himself several minutes later in Samus's chamber, with the door thoroughly locked and blocking out all sound, sitting bare-chested on her bed and waiting for Samus to come back from changing. Link was feeling very nervous. This wouldn't be his first time, but he knew for a fact that it was going to be Samus's first time. Samus had admitted long ago that she had never been close to anyone in her world, and that she was still a virgin. Link was, to say least, very nervous, as he knew that it'd be painful for her at first.

At that moment, Samus came out of her bathroom in nothing but her black underwear, her black bra barely restraining her large breasts. Link instantly turned red. He had only ever seen her in her Zero Suit or her Power Suit, and to see her with nothing but a black bra and matching panties was something he had thought that he'd only see in his dreams. As Samus came closer to him, Link tried with difficulty not to openly stare at Samus's breasts.

Samus couldn't help but notice that he was trying not to stare, and smiled. Even when they were both that close to naked and about to make love, Link still respected her privacy. Samus felt reassured by this and gently took Link's hand and placed it on her right breast causing him to look up in surprise, blushing hard. His blush made her laugh softly.

"It's okay, Link," she assured him, "I want you to."

Link, feeling a little more confident, began to gently fondle her breast as his eyes took in the beautiful woman in front of him. Samus moaned softly at his touch, reaching behind her and unhooking her bra, allowing it to fall to the floor, revealing her chest completely. Link was blushing harder than before as he took this in, and, feeling far more reassured by this display of trust, took Samus's nipple between his fingers and teased it gently, twisting it and pulling it until it it was perked and hard. Samus's moans of pleasure were arousing Link and his instincts urged him on as he gently pulled Samus closer, taking her right nipple into his mouth and sucking on it gently while using his other hand to tease her left nipple as well. Samus had never felt pleasure like this, and was enjoying every minute of it. As Link continued to pleasure her breasts, Samus could feel her pussy getting wet as she became more and more aroused with each minute.

Samus placed her hands on Link's shoulders as he switched nipples, sucking on her left nipple as he teased her right. She could feel his erection through his pants, and he felt huge. As Link finished pleasuring her chest, Samus slowly slid her panties off, allowing them to fall to the floor. Link responded in kind, sliding his pants off onto the floor as Samus lay down on the bed beside him. As he positioned himself over her, Samus felt slightly nervous at what was about to happen. She knew that breaking her hymen would hurt, but she trusted Link more so now than any other time before.

Link was having similar thoughts himself. He hadn't taken anyone's virginity before and knew that it would hurt Samus. Looking at her beseechingly, Link gave a nonverbal question. Samus nodded and said softly, "I know it will hurt, but you're here with me. I'll be alright."

Thus reassured, Link positioned his hardened member and slowly inserted into her entrance. He hit her hymen, drew back, and thrust fully into her, breaking it. It hurt more than anything Samus had ever felt as a million daggers of pain coursed through her. Link leaned forward and gently kissed away her tears before continuing his thrusts. As Link thrust into her, Samus's pain slowly went away, and her soft whimpers became moans as a whole new feeling of pleasure was opened to her. As Link thrust faster into her wet pussy, Samus could feel the walls of her entrance tightening around Link's hard cock, bringing her closer and closer to climax. Link's member was throbbing inside her as Link approached his own climax as well. Link knew Samus wouldn't want him to cum inside her, so right as he approached his climax, he pulled out of her and jizzed all over her chest, moaning in unison with her as she climaxed as well.

Link looked down at his smiling lover as she wiped the sticky cum off her chest and licked it, tasting it for the first time. Link laid next to her as she cleaned herself off.

Samus, after wiping herself clean, smiled at Link and said, "That was amazing, Link. Thank you."

Link returned her smile and kissed her deeply. "Always for you, Samus."

Samus smiled once more and teased, "We're really gonna need a shower tomorrow morning."

Link laughed softly. "Yes, we are. I'm glad you enjoyed this, Samus."

Samus rested her head on Link's chest and slowly fell asleep after whispering, "I love you, Link."

"I love you too, Samus.," Link said, smiling as she fell asleep.

Before he fell asleep, one last thought came to his mind. _We still have this Wire Frame problem to deal with..._

* * *

The next morning found them awake bright and early. The rest of SSB was still sleeping, but Samus and Link were wide awake, cleaning themselves up from the night before and gearing up to track down Shadow.

They made sure to pack food for themselves, as their journey to where Shadow was would take the entire day as well half the next day. As they geared up, Samus, remembering last night vividly but remaining serious, brought up an important observation. "The others will notice we're not there.

Link was not worried. "We've done things like this before."

This was true. During the Tabuu crisis, Link and Samus, along with Ike and Meta Knight, had taken missions separate from the rest of the SSB. But this was different.

"This isn't exactly the same as the Tabuu Crisis, Link," Samus pointed out. "Granted, 476 Wire Frames is a big problem, but it's not like the threat Tabuu presented."

Link hadn't thought of this. _I'd better think more clearly and thoroughly when we track down this culprit. No mistakes in Brawl._

Out loud, Link said, "They have very good reasons to trust our judgement with this. If not for us, half of them wouldn't be alive."

Samus knew Link was right, but deep down, she felt very uneasy. _Something isn't feeling right. 476 Wire Frames loose, no alarms tripped, the finger pointed at Shadow the Hedgehog, and the rest of the team going after the Wire Frames, but not Shadow. That doesn't feel right. It'd make more sense if half went after the Wire Frames and half went after Shadow, but all of them pursuing the Wire Frames? Something larger is behind this, and something more deadly._

_The question is...what?_

* * *

**Alright! Chapter 6 is up!**

**Link and Samus make love, and Samus is starting to think a larger force is at work than they first thought. Uh-oh. Not good.**

**Review please! I'm Anxious to know your opinions!**

**1/25/2013 Update****: I'm starting work on Chapter 7. I will hopefully have it up by this weekend, or by next weekend. Either way, stay tuned for chapter 7 coming soon.**

**2/1/2013 Update: Sorry for the delay, a lotta stuff's been going on lately, school and whatnot. I'm working on chapter 7 now.**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Shadow the Hedgehog stood on the topmost tower in downtown Westopolis. The usual ruckus of the Westopolis night life filled the late night air as he gazed out over the horizon. Many things had been different since the invasion of Black Arms several years before. The city was fully rebuilt, with G.U.N. units regularly patrolling the perimeter. _So much has happened since then, _Shadow thought. Yet despite this, his memory continued to haunt even after the discovery of his identity.

_Running down a seemingly endless hall...panting...the terrified face of a beautiful teenage girl...footsteps clambering behind them...stopping...her face filled with fear...a loud blast from a gun..._

"_MARIA!"_

Shadow shook his head. For all the effort it took to uncover his story, the memory still haunted him.

His thoughts were shattered as his keen sense of hearing picked up the sound of someone approaching. Someone approaching from behind.

Shadow spun around and side-stepped a flaming arrow. Moments later, a small bomb landed close to Shadow's feet. Reacting instinctively, Shadow spun several meters away and looked back at his assailant. A dark figure stood meters away, hidden from view. A pair of red eyes gazed out at him as he looked on. He knew instantly who it was.

"I was wondering when you'd show up."

The figure's reply came in a low snarl. "It's not my fault that you didn't specify a time to meet. Now, what is it you want to talk about?"

Shadow, remembering, immediately bristled his fur and snarled in return. "You broke our deal. I give you the access codes to Super Smash Headquarters, you unleash the Wire Frames and aim the blame at Sonic. You didn't keep your end of the bargain! They suspect ME! What did you do, cross your fucking fingers behind your back?!"

The figure's smirk could be heard in his voice. "I would have thought that you'd have expected the blame to be put on you."

Shadow bared his fangs in a feral snarl. "Don't fucking tell me that you don't know how to fucking control people's words! You did it just fine with Bowser and Gigabowser! Why not now?!"

The figure seemed to find this amusing. "You didn't know who you were bargaining with, Shadow. You were so gullible. The blackness of your mind allowed me to see the source of your hate, and I used it to my advantage. I admit, I considered your request, but in the end, what are you to me but a tool of the Time Hero's destruction? Why should I grant the request of one so low as yourself?"

Shadow immediately blew up. "I WILL FUCKING KILL YOU FOR THIS BACKSTAB!"

The figure considered Shadow briefly. "You can try, Shadow, you can try. But unfortunately, there is darkness in the hearts of all life-forms. No matter what you do to me, I will always be back." With this, the figure turned and disappeared.

Shadow stood in seething silence. _You think you can cross me? I, Shadow the Hedgehog, the Ultimate Life Form? You'll regret this, you red eyed bastard._

* * *

5 miles from Westopolis, Link and Samus were trekking hard through the surrounding landscape. For the past 36 hours they had been trekking hard, stopping only to eat, sleep, and relieve themselves. As Westopolis came into view, they exchanged glances, silently agreeing to get above ground to avoid unwanted attention. They began going rooftop to rooftop, Samus with her boost pack, Link with his hookshot. As they reached downtown, they stopped for a brief respite.

Link broke the tired silence. "Think you can make the last few acres?"

Samus smiled behind her helmet. "You kidding? This is nothing compared to when I tracked down Ridely."

Link smiled in return. "Well, we don't have far. Shadow's energy is making Navi go crazy." Link's fairy, usually hidden, had sensed Shadow's dark energy a while ago and the immensity of it had scared her into hiding.

Samus glanced up and saw, even from their spot, Shadow's silhouette highlighted against the full moon. "He's on the capitol tower, about 400 meters."

Link glanced in the same direction. "Yup, that's him. Shall we go?"

Samus blushed momentarily before regaining her composure and nodding. The two immediately took off, going rooftop to rooftop, higher and higher before finally reaching the top of the colossal tower.

Link spoke first. "Shadow the Hedgehog?"

Shadow turned towards them. "Well, speak of the devil. Look who it is. Link and Samus Aran."

Samus, tensed in case he struck, responded in Link's stead. "We're here to talk to you about the recent breakout of the Wire Frames at SS..."

Shadow cut across her. "I had no part in that outbreak. You've got the wrong colour."

Link stepped forward. "We know. We're here to ask you for help."

Samus was not as calm. "How did you know about the outbreak?!"

Shadow inhaled deeply. "I helped the person who did. I gave him the access codes to the Containment Area."

Samus and Link stood in shocked silence. "Who was it?" Link asked cautiously.

Shadow seemed amused by this question. "Who did it? Or who did it look like did it?"

"Don't fuck with us, Shadow, spill it!" Samus snapped.

Shadow shrugged. "You don't seem to check your records thoroughly. It was Captain Falcon who let them loose."

This confused Link. "If it was the Captain, why would you be needed? He already knows the codes."

Shadow seemed a bit nettled. "Captain Falcon let them loose, but he wasn't aware of his actions. He was being controlled by an outside force."

Samus considered this. _Perverted and rebellious he may be, but even the Captain would know in his heart of hearts not to release 476 Wire Frames. It must have been a very powerful force to break the Captain's mental barrier. I had a feeling something else was at work here. But we still don't know what it is._ This last thought irritated Samus further.

Link spoke, breaking her thoughts. "If the Captain was being controlled by someone or something else, than who was it?"

Shadow looked slightly unnerved. "He never told me his name. All I ever saw of him were two red eyes. He operates in the shadows, showing no one his face. He feeds off the darkness around him, drawing more power to himself.

Link's skull ridges went cold. _It can't be..._

Samus was similarly effected. _Him?! _

Link spoke uncertainly. "You don't mean..."

"I do."

* * *

**YES! Chapter 7 up! Enjoy!**

**Shadow is innocent, so who is this mysterious dark figure? **

**Please Review!**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Link stood in stunned silence as he took in the information Shadow had just given him. It didn't surprise him that his suspicions were right. What was surprising was the casual tone with which Shadow exposited this information. _It's almost as though...oh._ As Link thought on it, what would Shadow have to fear from revealing this information. _What bothers me is that Shadow just admitted he helped him, yet he's just spilling this information like it's of no concern to him. Even more troubling, how many other people have helped Him? If he's the villain in this..._

Shadow seemed to read his mind, for at that very moment, he said sharply, "You're right to think he's involved. But he's not the real villain behind this."

"Then who is?" Samus interjected.

Shadow's expression was grim as he spoke. "I don't know. I know that he's an even bigger darker force than the one whom I helped."

Samus, who didn't know all of Link's experiences, was lost. "Which is whom, exactly?"

Shadow gave Link an incredulous look. Link shrugged and looked rather sheepish despite himself. "She doesn't know everything I've been through. Just the major experiences."

Shadow nodded and turned back to Samus. "We're referring to Dark Link, a shadow specter created for the purpose of feeding off the darkness in the minds and souls of others."

Samus looked at Link, thinking hard. _A very shrewd creation. Nigh on impossible to destroy, because very few life-forms have no inner darkness. And modeled after the Time Hero himself? Deadly. That's one diabolical clone. _

Link brought her back to the present with his next question. "If he's not the villain and only an accomplice..."

Shadow laughed. "Accomplice? He's less than that. He's just a pawn. His only purpose, as far as I can tell, is to initiate discord amongst the Super Smash Brothers. It's what he does best. When one falls, the rest follow closely. What other purpose would he serve? He's as much a pawn as me."

Link was beginning to piece everything together. "So whoever this larger force is, he enlisted the services of Dark Link in order to gain entrance to the H.Q., and seeing as only a member of SSB can enter the Containment area, he needed to possess someone, which he can do easily. Yet even then, he needed access codes, so he came to you, a close friend...well," Link said quickly at Shadow's expression, "aquaintence, of Sonic the Hedgehog, a prominent member of SSB, for the codes, knowing that you would know the codes, because you needed to know them in order to be able to enter the facility to liase with us. In effect, you gave him the keys to his entrance in return for Sonic being blamed."

"Unfortunately," Shadow interrupted, "that part of the deal wasn't honored and Dark Link planted the suspicion of my involvement in the minds of all who believed I'm a villain. Sonic, naturally, and knowing my track record, was bound to believe I was the culprit, and seeing as I knew the access codes, what speculation was needed? You two, however, were smart enough to remember that I couldn't have unleashed the Frames to begin with, because, codes or no codes, only an SSB member can enter the area undetected. In that regard, Dark Link was the perfect infiltrator for the job."

Link stood in deep thought. _Whoever this villain is, he's a lot smarter than Dark Link AND Shadow. He'd have to be to be able to predict their actions so accurately. And Dark Link is nigh on impossible to deceive He knows your deepest and darkest secrets. Yet instead of gleaning the codes from Captain Falcon, he sought out Shadow, a lower being than himself, whom is well known for his liaisons with SSB, for the information, knowing that Shadow's grudge towards Sonic would prompt him to ask for Sonic to be blamed, and he was able to deceive Shadow because Shadow was blinded by his grudge to think that Dark Link would only do that which he was asked and that anyone he does not serve recieves the opposite of what they ask for. As a result, the blame is pointed at Shadow, and away from Dark Link and, by extension, whoever used his services. _

Again Shadow broke his thoughts. "The Wire Frames being unleashed is only the beginning."

"What do you mean, 'only the beginning?'" Samus demanded.

Shadow gave a mirthless laugh. "Do you really think that Loose Wire Frames is enough to cause true chaos? No, whoever this guy is, he's got something much larger-scaled planned for the SSB. Just look at what he's done already! He's fooled all but two of the SSB into thinking that I unleashed 476 Wire Frames, and fooled a perfect infiltrator into thinking he'll get some kind of profit from it. This can _only _be the beginning of something larger."

Link got right to the point. "Take us to Dark Link."

Shadow's expression hardened. "I don't do requests."

Link glared daggers into Shadow's black eyes. "It wasn't a request. You know how to find Dark Link. We know you're angry at him for crossing you. If you want any chance of getting back at him, then take us to him, and once we know what we need to know, We'll kill him. I know he can't be permanently killed, but we can make sure he doesn't cause any more trouble."

Shadow glared unblinkingly right back at Link. "How do I know I can trust you? How do I know you won't cross me just like he did?"

Samus cut in. "Because if you refuse to help, then we will force you."

Shadow laughed. "How the fuck would you force me?"

Shadow's laugh cut off as Samus's arm cannon charged and aimed right between his eyes. "Fair enough."

* * *

**YESYESYESYESYES!**

**Chpater 8 is up. Review plz!**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Link could not help but feel impressed. _Samus always was adept at persuasion, but this...this is just impressive. Even Shadow doesn't want to stand to that cannon of hers...although..._ Link frowned as a troubling thought occurred. _The moment the blast would finish, her Power Suit would be damaged to the point of uselessness. And it's like Samus said. The Zero Suit has more liabilities than benefits. But then, Shadow knows this already, and understands exactly the risk she's taking in threatening him this way. And he's well aware that my presence here would make things all the harder on him. Samus must know this, because she wouldn't threaten Shadow with her arm cannon otherwise. _Link could not help but grin.

Shadow looked quite unnerved. "Are you sure you want me to do this?"

"Of course we do!" snapped Samus.

"You misunderstand," Shadow said calmly, "Are you _absolutely certain _that you want to do this? You do realize that you are proposing that I lead you to a dark being who knows your deepest and darkest secrets no matter how hard you try to hide it from him, in order to force him to give you information on a dark being far more powerful than he is, and far more powerful even than me. Assuming, of course, you can get him to talk, and if he does, and he reveals his employer, what next? Attempt to convince the other Smash Brothers that i'm innocent and to go after _him_? Knowing full well that he-"

_WHAM!_

Link had finally lost his patience and decked Shadow right in the nose, sending him sprawling across the rooftop.

"WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT FOR?!" Shadow yelled.

"You're seriously trying my patience, Shadow," Link replied, "We've told you exactly what we want you to do, and you're not doing it. You're talking. We didn't tell you to talk. We don't want you to talk. We want you to lead us to Dark Link so we can get our information out of him. We've tried the easy way. You're not complying. I don't like resorting to such methods, but if you don't shut your Goddess-damned mouth and start leading us, I'm going to hit you again, harder this time. Make your choice."

Shadow looked mutinous. Samus was startled by this sudden display of aggression on Link's part. Link was never one to lose patience like that. _Yet for some reason, he's more attractive when he's angry._ Samus thought.

"Sometime today, Shadow."

Shadow seemed to weighing his options. Finally, he shrugged and said, "Fine, I'll lead you to Dark Link, but one condition."

"Name it."

"After I lead you to him, you let me go, and not contact me like this again."

"Fine."

Samus was relieved that the argument was finally over, but something about Shadow's agreement irritated her. _It's almost like he just doesn't give a shit. It's like he doesn't care who wins as long as he gets what he wants. Typical. _

"Let's go." Link said.

Link unleashed his hookshot and sped off back in the direction they had come. Samus and Shadow followed close behind, Shadow sulking, Samus trying desperately not to look at Link's rippling muscles as he made each jump.

* * *

A few hours later found the three of them several miles outside Westopolis, the early hours of the morning slowly ebbing in. Shadow was standing alone with Navi keeping a close eye on him while Link and Samus were settled in separate tents, trying to get as much sleep as they could before moving back out. As Link stared at the roof of his tent, he couldn't help but think of how much that had happened in the past 72 hours alone. He had confessed his feelings to Samus, confided his suspicions with her, slept with her afterwards, and had been traveling with her for the past near 48 hours. 476 Wire Frames loose, Shadow suspected, and yet innocent, Dark Link involved, a larger, unknown force behind him, Shadow leading them to Dark Link while the rest of SSB was after the Wire Frames...it felt as though the entire universe had turned upside down in less than 24 hours.

Samus, in her tent, was struggling with herself. She had never had a full-on relationship with anyone before, and to find herself in love with Link, confessing to him, kissing him, and losing her virginity to him in less than 24 hours seemed so...overwhelming. What could she say? She loved him. She didn't just say that, she knew it was true. He was the only man who truly understood her and respected her as a person and fellow human being. Samus felt conflicted because of a deep restlessness that she had never felt before. It was a deep urging. A deeply suppressed desire that she would never have felt before. It was a while before Samus realized that the answer was so simple, yet all the more embarrassing: she was horny. She couldn't help it. Ever since losing her virginity to Link, nearly every aspect of his physical appearance had become a turn-on for her and to be so close to him was tempting to say the least. Yet she knew that now, of all times, was not a good time to be feeling this.

As Samus continued laying there, she couldn't lie to herself any longer. She wanted to be close to Link. She wanted to be with him right now. Samus carefully sat up, clad in her Zero Suit, her Power Suit having been removed so she could sleep comfortably. She silently crept from her tent, looking around to make sure Shadow wouldn't notice. Shadow was sitting a few yards away, eyes closed, breathing steadily. Samus silently crept to Link's tent and slowly lift the flap, easing herself in. Link was laying awake, and the soft rustling of the tent made him look around and realize she was there. He at least had the sense not to yell.

"Samus? What is it? Is something wrong?" Link asked softly.

Samus smiled. "I just thought you might want some company?"

Link blushed. He couldn't help it. Samus was literally inches from him, in her Zero Suit, with nearly every physical feature standing out. Samus leaned in towards him.

"Link," she said softly, "I just want you to know that, no matter what happens...I won't leave you. Ever."

Link smiled. "Why would I think you're going to leave me?"

Samus smiled back. "Why would I want to?"

They both laughed softly. Samus, smiling lovingly, leaned in and kissed Link on the lips. Link responded and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her on top of him in the small space...

* * *

Shadow's ears perked up as he heard a soft moaning coming from Link's tent. He didn't need to see it to know what it was. _Link and Samus are having sex...now, of all times. _Shadow pointedly flattened both his ears down, shutting out all noise. _If those moans are anything to judge by...this is gonna be a long morning.__  
_

* * *

**Alright! Chapter 9 is up! Read and review, plz!**

**Will have Chapter 10 up ASAP!**

**2/20/2013 Update: I apologize for the delay in the publishing of Chapter 10. I have a lotta stuff going on atm and it's been leaving me little, if any, time to think up a good chapter. I'll be back on it as soon as i possibly can. For now, keep reading and reviewing plz! **


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

It was late afternoon by the time the three set out again. Link and Samus had needed to wash (in a rather big way), then they had needed to get food, as their supplies were starting to run low. By the time they had finally gotten back on the move, it was late afternoon. Shadow was not impressed.

Link, despite the constant company of his beloved, was beginning to get an uneasy feeling similar to that Samus had been feeling lately. _Something DEFINITELY does not feel right,_ Link thought as they continued to trudge on in the direction Shadow was leading them, _Even Dark Link isn't powerful enough to deceive every member of SSB into going after the Wire Frames and not to go after the one behind the break out. At this point, the Wire Frames are the least of my worries. Whoever or WHATever the real villain is, we're gonna have to be careful about. I have my suspects, but you never know. _

Indeed, Link had several suspects. First and foremost among them? Tabuu. Reason? Simple. Vengeance. His wrath had been terrible when his plans had been fully thwarted. Why else would he want to pull something this complicated and contrived?

Second suspect. Gannondorf. Reason? Blindingly obvious. Link. What villain _wouldn't_ want to take out their blood enemy and take down all his comrads as well, gaining the Ancient Hyrulean Power AND the power over the other worlds around it into the bargain?

Third suspect. Black Doom. Reason? A little more complicated. Black Doom hated the SSB with a burning passion. Shadow had betrayed Black Doom during the invasion of the Black Arms and had thwarted his plan to collect the Chaos Emeralds and dominate all life-forms. Sonic had been a powerful ally as well as his most constant companion during that crisis. Sonic had been backed by the whole of the SSB as well as his fellow South Islanders. Together, with Shadow at the head, they had defeated the Black Arms. Black Doom, in his thirst for vengeance as well as for destruction, would want Shadow and all his allies dead. Seeing as he had assisted in creating Shadow, Black Doom would know all of Shadow's inner hatreds, and what would cause them.

There were many others besides. But no conclusions could be drawn. there wasn't enough evidence. Hence the hunt for Dark Link.

It was not to say, however, that Link would expect Dark link to tell the truth flat-out. It wasn't in his nature. _Knowing him, he'd attempt to...attempt...to..._

Link's thoughts were broken by a thudding beat coming from a nearby apartment complex that was growing steadily louder. Even as he listened, he heard words:

_Just like the pied piper/Led rats through the streets/We dance like marrionettes/swaying to the Symphony of Destruction!_

Link listened for a moment and realized Shadow had stopped. "This is it."

Link was confused. "This is what?"

Shadow grinned. "This is where Dark Link lives."

Link was thoroughly confused. "Where?"

"Here!"

"Where around here?"

"In the apartments, who else would have music that loud?"

_Smashing through the boundries/Lunacy has found me/Cannot stop the Battery!/Pounding out aggression/Turns into obssession/Cannot stop the Battery/Cannot kill the family, Battery is found in me!_

"So you're saying," Link said slowly, "That Dark Link lives in a complex of High-quality apartments, and listens to loud thrash music?"

"Yup."

"That...that's just...," Link couldn't even finish sentence. Samus finished it for him.

"That's just the most fucking rediculous thing I've ever heard. This _can't _be wear he lives, there must be somewhere else, like Hell, or, fuck, even a furnace or something, he CAN'T live here!"

Shadow's eyebrow went up so far it nearly blended with his widow's peak. "Why so shocked? What, did you think he lived in a wearhouse full of dead bodies or something?"

"Well, yes!" Samus said, "Where else would he live?"

Shadow shook his head. "You SSB twats have no goddamned imagination! You think that because YOU have first class accomidations that all the so-called 'bad-guys' live in bloody pits?"

Link felt a bit awkward. "Well...it's not exactly what we imagined for him..."

"Imagined for who?" came a voice behind them. Link stiffened and slowly turned before realizing the pounding music had stopped. Turning around, he saw the Dark Deciever himself standing a few feet behind him.

"So...decided to track me, eh?" Dark Link asked, amused. "Thought I'd tell you who employed me?"

Link immediately tensed, drawing his sword in on smooth motion and setting his shield in place, ready for action, even as Samus donned her helmet and readied her arm cannon just as quickly and smoothly. Dark Link simply looked at them skeptically.

"Why the sudden tension? Yeesh, such hostility and we haven't even exchanged more than a few sentences..."

_Wha-BAM!_

Shadow flew out of nowhere and slammed his hard skull into Dark Link's cranium, knocking him several feet in the air and several metres away. Before he had time to recover, Shadow was raining down a series of hard blows from his fire-wreathed fists. All this transpired within a few seconds. Link and Samus immediately charged forward and yanked Shadow off Dark Link.

"Control yourself, Shadow! We need him concious!" Link growled.

"I DON'T FUCKING CARE! I'M GOING TO KILL THIS DOUBLE-CROSSING, BACKSTABBING BASTARD!" Shadow roared.

Dark Link slowly got to his feet, the glowing of his blood red eyes displaying his mock-admiration for Shadow's quick move. "Impressive, Shadow. Never would have thought a low being such as yourself would have been so quick to the get-go."

Several veins popped in Shadow's head. _He's provoking him,_ Link realized. _He's using Shadow's pride to provoke him into attacking him as though to kill, thus giving Dark Link an excuse to permanently dispose of him._

Shadow's fangs were bared as he continued to seeth with rage. Samus intervened before Shadow had the chance to lash out at Dark Link in retaliation for his insult.

"We want to know who hired you to gain infiltration into SSB and what he's planning."

Dark Link actually laughed out loud. "You still haven't figured it out? Guess SSB twats really are slow on the uptake as they say."

Link's expression hardened. "Who. Is. It."

Dark Link shrugged. "You're all going to die anyway, so I might as well. It's Black Doom."

"WHAT?!" Three voices yelled in unison.

* * *

**YESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYES!**

**Chapter 10 is up! I'm sorry it took so long, I've had a lotta shit going on lately. Hope you enjoy! Plz Review!**

**3/13/13 Update: I apologize for the delay on Chapter 11. I've been studying a lot in scool, several personal problems had to be sorted out, and this past weekend I was studying for an Anatomy exam so I haven't given it my full attention. Regardless, thank you all for your continued support and thank you for more than 4,000 reads! You all rock! Please continue to do so and please continue reviewing! I will have Chapter 11 in ASAP!**

**3/22/13 Update: OMGOMGOMGOMG I'm so sorry for the further delay. I really am, guys. Turns out it's proving difficult to find time to write the full chapter. I barely have time to type this, even! Seriously, everyone, I'm sorry it's taking so, I'm trying to find all the time I can, but lately, I've been very tired and stressed out, as well as a little depressed, so I haven't exactly been giving it my full attention, and I am very sorry about that. I promise, I will get to it as soon as I can. Thank you all for your continued support. Please keep reading and reviewing!**

**4/8/13 Update: Chapter 11 is being written right now! I promise I will have it up by the end of this week! I am so sorry for the long delay!**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

"WHAT?!" Three voices yelled at once.

Dark Link growled impatiently. "You heard me. I said, my employer is Black Doom."

_I knew it...I just...fucking...knew it. _Link thought. _Black Doom...that monster...only HE would be able to pull this. It all makes perfect sense now. Black Doom hired the services of Dark Link to infiltrate the SSB Headquarters, knowing that he'd go to a lesser being for the codes. He must have known that lesser being would be Shadow, because Shadow is the only non-SSB member who knows them. _

Dark Link broke his thoughts. "Well, now that you all know that you're pretty much fucked in the ass with the lights off, I'm just gonna go ahead and..."

_Wha-SCHING!_

Dark Link had only the sound of scraping metal as a warning before the Master Sword was mere millimeters from between his eyes, Link standing over him with one foot on his chest and the other pressing Dark Link's own sword hand at the wrist. Despite himself, and though he didn't show it, Dark Link was stunned.

Link's handsome features were twisted into a scowl. "You're not going anywhere, you sonofabitch. You're going to stay just like this til you tell us exactly WHY Black Doom is doing this and WHAT exactly he intends by it."

Dark Link scowled right back. "He hates all of you. I thought that was obvious enough."

Link pressed onto Dark Link's chest harder. "Don't fuck with me, Dark. With any of us. I know how you operate. I know what you do to get what you want. You're not gonna get ANYTHING you want this time. First, you're going to cut the bullshit, cos seriously, you're not impressing anyone here. Then, you're going to open your mouth and tell us everything you know about Black Doom's plans and what he means by them, cos you're not going anywhere til you do, and if you try anything, I'll put this Master sword right between your eyes and pin you to the ground like a tent-peg."

Dark Link's scowl become more pronounced. "You can't kill me. No one can."

Link smiled humorlessly. "I know that but it sure is worth the effort." For emphasis, Samus charged her arm canon and aimed it at Dark Link's head.

Dark Link sighed. "Fine. You're all fucked anyway so it doesn't matter. Black Doom, as you all well know, holds a rather notorious grudge against Shadow. He hates Shadow for thwarting his plans, and in addition, he hates all of the South Islanders who helped him, and by extension, all of SSB for having a hand in his failure to dominate the Earth. This whole releasing of the Wire Frames bullshit was a trap. He knew a large-scale break-out would catch everyone's attention. He knew only a select few, if any, would even think something larger was at work, and he knew that all the others would go after the escaped Wire Frames instead of deducing who the culprit is or might be." Dark Link smirked wickedly. "Even as we speak, the SSB Force is walking into a trap. The Wire Frames are almost TOO easy to track and Black Doom is manipulating their each and every move. He is deliberately leading the whole of the SSB force into a large-scale ambush set up by the most elite soldiers in the Black Arms."

The blood drain from Samus's face, turning her deathly pale. _It can't be...this whole thing was all a trap?! He KNEW the majority of the force would walk into that trap?!...but wait, that doesn't make sense...Shadow is the one he hates...so why would he destroy SSB?_

Link was thinking along the same lines. "That makes no sense. Shadow's the one he's holding the grudge against. Why would he want to destroy SSB?"

Dark Link's smirk widened. "So that nobody could back Shadow up. With SSB out the way, all that's left for Shadow to look to is the other South Islanders. And they've already been captured. They are all, as we speak, being held for ransom in the Eclipse space station orbiting the earth. So now, with no one to back him up, Shadow is as good as dead, because the Chaos Emeralds are well hidden. He's alone...ARGH!"

Link had wacked Dark Link on the side of the head with the Master Sword's flat. "He's not alone! I'm still here! Samus is still here!"

Dark Link laughed. "You're no match for Black Doom. Black Doom is indestructable. He is a demon from the blackest depths of hell. He can't be stopped."

"He's been stopped before!" Link shouted.

Dark Link shouted in retaliation. "By a being made from his own blood backed by the Chaos Emeralds! You and I both know that the Chaos Emeralds are long gone and well hidden!"

Samus cut across him. "That didn't stop us from defeating Tabuu!"

Dark Link's laugh had a maniacal note to it now. "Tabuu is a shrimp compared to Lord Doom! Lord Doom is-"

Link finally lost patience. The Master Sword flared with energy as he raised it and plunged it right in between Dark Link's eyes. "SHUT THE HELL UP, YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

Dark Link gave a single scream and a moment later was gone.

Samus stood in shock, silent. Shadow lost his temper.

"YOU IDIOT! YOU JUST KILLED OUR LAST LINK TO BLACK DOOM! NOW THERE IS NO WAY WE CAN FIND HIM! CONGRATS, YOU MORON, YOU HAVE SINGLE HANDEDLY DOOMED US ALL..."

Before he could finish, Samus kicked him right in the nose, swept his feet from under him and aimed her canon right at his heart. "Don't...you...EVER...call...Link...an idiot!" She snarled, her usual soft yet firm accent thick with rage.

Link stayed calm. "Besides, you can still lead us to him."

"And why would I..."

_Click! WHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!_

"Okay okay okay!"

* * *

**Yesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyes!**

**I don't know about you guys, but I find it hilarious that when I set a deadline, I end up getting out the next chapter 5 days ahead of schedule. I know, where are my priorities right? All the same, I apologize sincerely for the delay on this chapter and I promise chapter 12 will not take nearly as long. Read and review PLZ!**

**Update 5/1/2013: Hey guys, Chapter 12 is underway. I haven't been focusing on it very much due to final exams and making up missing assignments and studying my a** off, etc. In addition, I've also been managing my new DeviantArt account, which I'm using to post a horror series that I've been writing for the past 2 years and only recently completed and started posting. Also, my band has been having issues with keeping a full line up, as two of our members moved recently and we're now once more 2 members short and on the search yet again. Needless to say, I've really been busy as of late, and haven't really been giving _No Mistakes_ my full attention. Rest assured, however, that Chapter 12 is being planned and written and will be up as soon as I can possibly get it up. I'm sorry for the delay guys, I know this is getting a bit repetitive, but it's true, guys, I really am. Thank you, all of you, for continuing to give support for this story and thanks to all my fellow SamLink fans for encouraging me to continue. You all are awesome and I ask that you continue to give support. Keep reading and reviewing! Chapter 12 is coming soon!**

**Update as of May 13th: Once again I must apologize for the delay. There's been a lot going on lately and I've been dealing with a lot of the usual bulls*** in school, so I've been more focused on acedemics than anything else, that and I've been trying to get a job, so, yeah...I'm so sorry, everyone. While I'm here, however...THANK YOU ALL FOR 50 REVIEWS! I'm so thankful for the support you've all been giving _No Mistakes_ and I hope to see as much support, if not more, in my upcoming 3-part story _Lost in Hyrule_! Thank you, everyone, for the continued support, and a special thanks to my fellow Samus X Link fans who have given their feedback! In particular, I'd like to take this time to give a shoutout to NoraStar, who has been following _No Mistakes _since Day 1. Thank you, Nora, for all your support! I promise, everyone, chapter 12 is in the works and it will be out soon! Please, everyone, keep reading and reviewing!**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Night was descending. Shadow, Link, and Samus had been moving through the woods for some time now. Link felt strung out, if nothing else. So much had happened in so little time, it felt like his head would explode. A love confession, a mass breakout, a culprit track-down, a mastermind track-down, and a mastermind exposition all in less than 3 days. Link wondered if his head could take it.

Link knew he couldn't afford disorientation. Too much was at stake. Even as he thought this now, he knew in his gut that a single mistake _now _would destroy everything. He, Samus and Shadow now had someone else to track down. Someone far more powerful than anyone they had yet fought: Black Doom.

Link didn't know much about Black Doom, but he knew some information. He knew Black Doom was the head of a massive alien army known as the Black Arms. He knew Black Doom was solely responsible for the complete destruction of over 6 major cities. He knew Black Doom's rampage had killed over 4,000,000 innocent people and had wounded more than 1,000,000,000. He knew that Black Doom's blood had been the source used to create Shadow (a "lab rat", Shadow had once been called). Apart from this, however, Link didn't know much else.

Samus felt similarly. She was tired as well, but knew she couldn't afford much rest. Her power suit was heating up fast and she felt that she need to at least remove her helmet, but ignored her discomfort, knowing if Link could take it, she could, too.

Shadow stopped. He looked back at the couple following him. "I think you two should rest."

Link and Samus both stared in disbelief. Shadow made a very impatient noise.

"Look, we all know that if you try to take on Black Doom in your current states, you'll only be trampled like so many innocents who will be trampled if we fail regardless. You need to rest and get yourselves together."

Samus felt inwardly relieved but kept her outwardly cold demeanor. "If that's the case, then perhaps you would consent to tell us more about this Black Doom. The more we know the better."

Shadow nodded. He understood.

Link, relieved at finally getting a rather well-deserved rest, sat down and removed all of his weapons. "Start talking, Shadow, we're listening."

Shadow inhaled deeply. "I don't know what he is or where he's from, but Black Doom is a diabolical Alien Overlord with the biggest god complex you'll ever see in anyone. He feels it's his duty as the Black Arms leader to conquer as many inferior races as possible for him. As you both know, it was his blood that was used as the source for my creation. He came to my world for one purpose: the Chaos Emeralds. He came on the pretense of completely dominating the planet, and even brought several legions of the Black Arms with him in the process." Shadow shook his head sadly. "The resulting carnage was unbelievable. 6 major cities...completely destroyed. Millions of people died in the chaos that ensued. The only things Black Doom was ever after were the Chaos Emeralds. He knew they would give him ultimate power, even though he already had the power to destroy all life to begin with. He wanted more and more power and the more power he wanted, the more people he was willing to kill to get it."

Link sat in silence, taking all this in.

Shadow continued. "This much is clear. If Black Doom wants to destroy SSB, then you have one hell of a predicament. The three-eyed motherfucker will stop at nothing to gain power and achieve his goal. Our only option is to destroy him."

Samus cut in. "_Can_ he be destroyed?"

Shadow looked at her. "He can be, but it's highly difficult. His Army is gigantic. It could populate my home planet 4 times over. What we saw in the Black Arms invasion wasn't even a quarter of Black Doom's forces. They breed like rabbits. Non stop."

"What about Doom himself?" Link asked.

"Army or no army, Black Doom is still very powerful. I was only able to destroy him using the Chaos Emeralds to fuel my power." Shadow replied.

"Couldn't we find them again?" Samus inquired, "They seem to be our only option."

Shadow sighed. "The search would be long and hard. After the Tabuu Crisis, the Emeralds were sent to 7 different worlds that were unaware of their existence to keep them safe."

"Do you know what worlds they are?" asked Link.

"Hyrule, Planet Zebes, Termina, Brinstar, Big Blue, Mute City, and the Twilight Realm."

Link sat back and thought hard. He knew this wouldn't be easy, but it was their only hope. Samus looked over at Link. _He can only do so much. And he knows it. We have to travel to 7 different worlds to track down the Emeralds. _

Link finally sat up. "We'll do it. I don't like the idea, but it's our only option at this point."

Shadow nodded seriously. "Where to first?"

Link inhaled. "Twilight Realm."

Samus stared at him.

Link smiled as though he'd read her mind. "I have an old friend there. Two in fact. They could help us."

Shadow leaned in, interested. "Who?"

Link smiled knowingly. "_That _I will keep to myself til the time is right."

* * *

Later that night, Link and Samus sat together in their tent, enjoying each other's company while they could.

Samus smiled ruefully. "So much in so little time, Link. And yet so much still to do."

Link smiled as well. "I know. It's so hard to believe how far we have come."

Samus looked up at him. "Link?"

"Yes, Samus?"

"Who were the two people you mentioned?"

Link inhaled. "One's a former enemy. His name is Zant. I defeated him in battle no less than 5 times before he delivered the death blow to Gannondorf. He's been an ally since, although he was imprisoned for a time for his treason."

Samus smiled. "And the other?"

Link was silent for a moment. The name that left his lips was said so softly it was almost inaudible.

"Midna..."

* * *

**YESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYE SYESYESYES!**

**Chapter 12, everyone! EXPOSITION AHOY!**

**Enjoy! I'm sorry, once again, for the delay! Please read and review!**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Midna was bored out of her mind. For hours she had been listening to her vizier drone on and on and on about things that really didn't interest her in the least. _God, Vantan, will you just shut the fuck up! _Vantan, her supreme adviser, had addressed everything from the distribution of goods to her people to keeping the Twilit-beast population under control. It wasn't that she wasn't concerned for her people, far from it. She was simply tired of the monotony of being queen of the Twilight Realm. _Geez, what's a girl gotta do to have some fun around here, royalty or not royalty? _The beautiful Twilight woman rested her head on her hand, Vantan's slow and deep drawl going through one ear and right out the other. _Damnit, I wish Link was here..._

_KA-BOOM! _An explosion of noise shattered her thoughts as a deep, familiar whirring noise filled the palace. _Could that be..._

Midna, her heart pounding, rushed from the room and ran as fast as she could to her balcony that overlooked all of the Twilight Realm. There, sure enough, a large portal opened in the sky. Midna's heart leaped. _Link..._

Hoping against hope it was him, Midna changed into something more presentable as fast as she could and rushed down the stair case, ignoring all the cries of shock in the streets. She reached a hill, and there, standing in his instantly recognizable green tunic, was Link. Midna's heart pounded as she looked upon the Hylian Hero. It had been a few years since she had seen him. He was taller, obviously a bit older, and he seemed to have accumulated a new collection of battle scars to add to the ones she'd already seen on him.

A moment later, a second person appeared. A tall, blonde woman in a skin-tight, vividly blue uniform that revealed every curve of her body. This person was unfamiliar to Midna. _Who the hell is she? _Midna thought, _And why the hell is she with Link? _Midna looked her over from that distance, and noticed she had two different colored eyes, one green, one blue. Now that Midna thought about it, this woman actually _was_ a bit familiar. _Where have I seen her before? That's definitely not Zelda...who the fuck IS that?_

A third figure, shorter than Link and the woman next to him, materialized a moment later. This person, Midna knew all too well. _Shadow the Hedgehog. What a pleasant surprise. _As happy as she was to see Link, she couldn't help but wonder why he was here. _AND WHO THE FUCK IS THAT WOMAN?!_

Link looked up and spotted Midna, and smiled. Midna blushed and felt highly thankful it didn't show. Link's smile was as handsome as she remembered. Returning his smile, Midna ran forward and wrapped Link in a huge hug.

"LINK! Oh my god, Link, it's been too long!" Midna cried out.

Link was taken off guard and nearly lost his balance as he returned Midna's hug, conscious of the fact that Samus was watching him. _Samus has nothing to worry about. I'm her man, and her man only._

"Who's the new friend?" Midna asked. _"New friend"? HA! More like, who's the bitch!_

Link stepped back. "Samus, I'd like you to meet my old friend and ally, Midna, Queen of the Twilight Realm. Midna, this is Samus Aran, my closest friend at SSB."

Midna, whatever her thoughts, maintained her politeness as a Twilight Queen and curtsied. "Hello, Miss Aran. Welcome to my domain."

"Hi." Samus's reply, however veiled with her own stiff politeness, was surprisingly cold. Midna could hear the raw jealousy in Samus's voice and inwardly smirked. _I don't know what you're playing at, blondie, but Link is MY man. If you want him, you better be prepared to prove it._

Samus's thoughts were similar, if not almost exactly the same. _I don't don't know who the fuck this piebald bitch is, but this is MY man she's flirting with, and she'd better be ready to get through me to get him._

Link could sense the tension already arising between the two women. _Geez, they're already jealous...Midna, I figured would be, but Samus? I thought she knew better._

Shadow openly smirked. _Welcome to the world of female competition, Link._

* * *

"...and so we need to find the 7 Chaos Emeralds so we can take down this Black Doom. They are our last hope at this point. We know that one of them is here, and we need to find it." Link finished. The group was in Midna's Council Chamber and Link had spent the last hour and a half explaining the situation to Midna. Had it not been for Vantan's constant and annoying interrupting, it'd have been an hour shorter. Midan sat back her seat and thought hard. _This is bad, very bad. Even the Zant Crisis wasn't this bad. Link will need all the help he can get. _

Out loud, Midna said, "So, let me get this straight. Black Doom set up a highly contrived and complex booby trap to lure the rest of SSB out into an ambush."

Link noddded. "Correct."

"And He's doing that to leave Shadow helpless so he can take revenge on him and all of SSB and be rid of both to boot?"

"Yes."

"Link, not gonna lie, you've really gotten yourself in a bigger shithole than the last one."

Vantan was shocked. "Your Majesty!"

"Oh shut up, Vantan, like you haven't used a swear word in your life."

Shadow broke in. "We need to know if YOU happen to know where the Chaos Emerald in this world is."

Midna shook her head. "I'm afraid I don't. SSB was very secretive about the matter. I knew it was here, but not where."

Samus, not bothering to hide her obvious dislike of the beautiful Midna, snarled. "So coming here was as pointless as the other 2 searches we've done in the last 72 hours!"

Midna raised an eyebrow. "I suggest you watch your tone, Miss Aran. See, I usually don't allow people to talk like that to me in my own house." Midna smirked inwardly, "Especially women."

Samus's look of outrage at this statement was priceless to Midna. What Midna wouldn't give to see her angry!

Samus stood up. "Why you little..."

Link laid a hand on Samus's arm, calming her. Midna saw this and inwardly yelled in rage. _W__hat the fuck?! He calmed her just by touching her?! Who the fuck does this bitch think she is, that she can steel my Link?!_

Samus's thoughts were just as angry. _If this slut so much as even touches my Link, I will incinerate her with one blast!_

Poor Link could do nothing but sit there and watch the two arguing females. _This is gonna be a looooooooooooong search._

* * *

**Wow, for the first time since Chapters 3 and 4 I've done two chapters in one day. **

**Well, I hope you all enjoy this Chapter! Read and review, please!**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Deep in the palace, where she had chosen her sleeping quarters, Samus flung herself down on her bed, fuming. Of all the things she had expected Midna to be, she had not expected Midna to be so beautiful. Everything Samus had known about Link's role in abating the Zant Crisis had now been thrown into doubt for her where Midna was concerned. How long had Link known Midna? How much time did he spend with her? How close did they get? For how long?

_How long has he known Midna? _Samus's thoughts repeatedly demanded, _How did they meet? WHEN did they meet? WHERE did they meet? How close are they? How close WERE they?_

More and more questions came up as Samus remembered all that had happened recently. _Link confessed he loves me, he took my virginity, he planned with me, traveled with me...come to think of it, he never said if it was his first time when he fucked me on mine! _

Samus's thoughts became more and more demanding. A little voice in her mind kept egging at her. _How do you know Link didn't have sex with her? You think they might even be in a secret relationship? _Samus was at a complete loss as to what to think. _Link would have told me if he'd had any past relationships...wouldn't he? Hiding his past isn't like him. I mean, granted, he's never really gone into detail about his exploits as a warrior, but I would think he'd have told me if he'd had an affair with anyone...right?_

No matter how hard she tried to convince herself, Samus still had doubts. She was beginning to doubt her own feelings for Link.

_What do I do? I can't let this sit...how do I ask Link about it without driving him away?_

* * *

In another part of the palace, higher up and more elegant, the Twilight Queen laid on her bed, staring up at the ceiling of her chamber. Midna had been so happy to see Link, and yet...the sight of that blonde had marred everything. _And what the hell was she wearing?! I mean, okay, my clothing tends to be a bit risque, but that's just ridiculous I could see every detail of her form! Has she no shame at all?! What is she trying to seduce him or something? _Another, worse thought crossed her mind. _Did she ALREADY seduce him?! _

Midna had no idea who Samus was or where she was from, but she knew this much: as far as Midna was concerned, Samus was the one thing Midna hated: competition. Midna hated to admit it, but Samus _was _rather beautiful, as well as voluptuous. _My curves my put hers to shame, _Midna thought, _but the T and A department isn't what Link focuses on, I was with him long enough to know THAT much. He's more about personality and emotions than anything else. And he takes personal preferences into account as well, that's why he didn't fall for Zelda. He respected the fact that while she did love him like brother, she didn't see him as a lover, like I did. Like I DO. _

Midna sighed. _I hate to admit it, but Link never really did make any promises. Technically, we were never together. Hell, I never even confessed my feelings for him. So...how can I? _

Midna sighed. As much as she hated to admit it, she had not admitted to Link she loved him, so, therefore, how could she in good conscience just come out of the blue and admit she loved him when that blonde bitch already seemed to have taken him?

Midna knew it was a silly thing to do, but she felt that as long as Samus was around, she could not admit her feelings for Link.

_I need to do something about her...what, I'm not sure...but I know this. I'm not giving up Link without a fight._

* * *

Link was feeling worse than both the females in the palace. _Great. Juuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuust great. I finally get used to Samus's company and even fall in love with her. I confess I love her and not even 24 hours later take her virginity. We work together, plan together, even fight together. And now that I've come to Twilight Realm to see Midna for help, she automatically gets all jealous over Midna just because Midna's as beautiful as she is._

Link had to admit it. He could handle monsters and temples and giants and crazy-talking-demon-masks like it was no problem, but when it came to women, it was like trying to fight a hurricane with your bare hands. _And Midna seems jealous too. Midna and I...well, we went through a lot of hell together but in terms of a relationship, we never really promised each other anything...we didn't even last that long._

As trivial as it seemed, this was, in Midna's words, one hell of a shithole he was in. He knew that while his was not the time to be upset over relationship issues, he knew that the battle of wills between Midna and Samus was a huge issue in finding the Chaos Emerald in the Twilight Realm. If they couldn't work as a team, then they wouldn't be able to help one another, than there'd be the issue of who Link would go with, and a ton of other issues that would just waste valuable time that was quickly running out.

_I just don't know how I keep getting myself caught up into this shit, _Link thought, _First Saria, then Malon, then Rutoh, now Samus and Midna. Why is it that every female who sees me wants to automatically assume I'm theirs? I mean, fuck it all, can't they see that I'm really not interested? I love Samus, I really do, but seriously, why does she have to be so...indomitable? _

_And Midna! What the hell is with her?! We never got into a serious relationship! I mean, all we did was kiss a few times and we had sex the one time before she went back to her Kingdom. I never promised her anything, and it's not my fault that she fell for me!_

Link sighed aloud. _Whatever the case, I need to mend this rift. Not doing so could have some awful painful consequences._

_And not just for me._

* * *

**Well, I had the time on my hands so I've posted 3 new chapters in 2 days! Whew!**

**So now Midna's thrown into the mix...things might not end too well...**

**Read and review please!**

**Update as of May 20th: As a quick heads up, Chapter 15 may be a while due to some issues concerning depression, financial struggles and health issues. I promise I will get to it ASAP. Please keep reading and reviewing!**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Samus woke up from a long sleep. It took her a moment to realize where she was and what had gone down the previous day. She knew that while they had little time to act, she couldn't help feeling comfortable in her chamber. Who wouldn't have been?

Samus never was one for elegance, but even she couldn't deny that Midna had a really good taste in fung shue. Her chamber was, after a typical upper-class Twili-Lord, decorated elegantly in bright blue, black, and the occasional streak of yellow and orange. Samus had to admit the combination had a striking effect.

As beautiful as she found it, however, it did nothing but remind her of the beautiful and curvaceous Twilight Queen, which did nothing but irritate Samus. Samus got out of her bed with a huff and looked at herself in a full-height mirror. This simply made it worse for Samus. Samus was never one for vanity, but as she turned back and forth looking herself over, she couldn't help but notice that, in terms of physical beauty, Midna outdid her. _What the fuck, why am I thinking like this?! _Samus screamed in her thoughts, _I'm a fighter, not a beauty queen! So Midna has bigger boobs than me, big fucking deal! So she's got a large ass, so what! Why should I care if she's more beautiful than me?! Link didn't fall for me for my looks anyway! He loves me as a person! As a human fucking being! Not as a body with big tits and a fine ass! WHY THE FUCK AM I EVEN THINKING THIS?!_

Samus hated to admit it, even to herself, but she was, if ever so slightly, a bit jealous of Midna. For all her tough, tomboyish and strong demeanor, Samus couldn't deny the fact that she was a woman. And she couldn't deny, as a result, the fact that Midna, plainly and simply, was physically more beautiful than her.

Samus knew one thing, however. She knew, in her heart of hearts, that Link wasn't going to leave her. The only thing that marred this confidence was a small mental voice that was continually egging at her about the Twilight Queen.

_For fuck's sake, Samus, get a grip on yourself, _she thought to herself, _you know Link won't leave you, so stop feeling so goddamn jealous and just work with the bitch, cos you know you have to, and just accept the fact that Midna likes him. You already know that he won't leave you, and that you have no intention of giving him up anyhow, so calm your ass down and just go with it. _

* * *

Link, meanwhile, was having a mental battle of his own. _For the love of the Goddesses, Link, get a fucking grip. You already know where your loyalties lie._

Link knew that Samus's behavior the previous day had been quite unlike her, and was trying to deduce the reasons for it. _It's not like her to get all jealous like that. She knows that I'd never leave her for anyone, let alone Midna. Samus isn't the issue, Midna is. So why would Samus flare up the way she did? _

Link had a hunch that he knew who it was, but he couldn't be certain. There wasn't enough evidence yet to prove he was right.

_If it IS what I think it is, then this shit hole just got deeper and murkier. Either way, if Midna doesn't calm down, things aren't going to end well._

* * *

An hour later, Link was seated in the great hall of Midna's palace, waiting for Midna and Samus. He had already eaten, and he knew that Samus and Midna wouldn't eat much.

Samus entered across the hall, this time garbed in her red Zero Suit, the case containing her Fusion Suit on her back. Samus smiled at Link and sat next to him. Link smiles back at her and hugged her.

"I missed you," he murmured.

"I can tell," Samus replied.

Link laughed softly and kissed Samus on the lips, Samus returning the kiss deeply. _Maybe this is all behind us then,_ Link thought.

The sound of the door bursting open caused them to jump apart. There in the doorway stood Midna, garbed in a black, skin-tight garment that barely covered her, with her legs fully revealed and much of her cleavage visible, and her arms were bared. Around this she wore a long, black cape that fell to her ankles. Her feet, as always, were bare. Midna, apparently, had seriously gone out of her way to try to impress Link.

Samus's eyebrow went up so far it nearly blended with her hair. _Seriously? She thinks that showing off her ass and having her boobs hanging out is going to impress Link? She obviously doesn't know Link very well._

Link's thoughts were similar. _I have no idea what Midna is trying to prove. She looks like a hooker. _

Midna flounced up to the couple and sat on the table, flinging her cape behind her and hiking up one of her legs.

"Watch who you're flashing, there, Leotard," Samus said cooly, "You're not impressing anyone."

Midna shot a dark glare at Samus. "Like you're one to talk? What the hell are _you _wearing, anyway? You look like a gymnast in boots."

Samus remained calm. "You look like a hooker in a cape."

Midna flared up instantly. "You wanna go, blondie?! Bring it on, bitch, I'll rip you apart!"

Samus simply raised an eyebrow. "I don't know what _you're _so angry about. I'm just pointing something out."

Samus's calm demeanor did nothing but infuriate Midna. _It's like she doesn't care! What the hell! _"You take that back!"

"Why? It's the truth."

Midna lost patience and launched herself at Samus, tackling her out the chair and to the floor. Samus was ready for it and flipped over, sending Midna across the room and into the wall.

A giant sweat drop ran down Link's forehead. _Leave it to Midna to lose control. _Link sighed and stood up. As Midna launched herself at Samus again, Link fired an Ice Arrow, freezing Midna by her waist to the wall. At the same time, He fired his hook shot and bound Samus to keep her in place. Both women stared at him.

"Now will you girls please calm down? Or do I need to start getting serious?"

* * *

**yesyesyesyesyesyesyes!**

**Chapter 15!**

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	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Link sighed as both women glared daggers into him, Samus tied up, and Midna frozen to the wall. Link had remained calm throughout the exchange, and was rather exasperated at the sudden outburst on Midna's part, which was annoying to say the least. _After all this time, she hasn't changed a bit. I expected better behavior on her part._

Link sighed heavily. "Okay, look. I'm not going to deal with this. You two fighting is getting us nowhere and we have better and more important things to be worrying about, yes?" He turned to Samus, bound by his hookshot. "Samus, you know as well as I that it is futile to focus on the smallest of flaws when the bigger picture holds far more important things to be concerned about. You know as well as I that there are more important things to be worrying about than fighting another woman, yes?" Samus, while irritated at being lectured like a child, felt a bit ashamed for her actions and knew Link was right. _I really need to get a grip on myself._

Link turned to Midna. "And _you_, of all people, ought to know better! For one thing, wear something more suited for the task at hand. Samus is right, you look like a hooker, for Godess's sake! Wear something more suitable for traveling. And besides, if you really think you're going to impress me with that, you've got another thing coming. Midna, you're my closest friend, but I don't see you as a lover. You're my friend and nothing more. Jealousy isn't like you, Midna. Don't let the fact that I love Samus get to you like that, it seriously is not like you. Calm down and accept that which you can not change. And change your clothes, for fuck's sake, you look like you're preparing for a swimming party, not a mission to track a valuable object."

Midna looked livid, and then started thinking fast. _Link loves Samus, hmmm...I can't help but wonder what would happen if she knew that I took Link's virginity...nah, I wouldn't stoop that low...not yet anyways..._

"Well, Midna? What say you?" said Link, sounding a bit impatient.

Midna thought fast. _Okay, for now, I'll just leave them alone. Just for a while, so I can actually devise a better plan. Let them think I've given up. Then I'll try again. I will teach that blonde bitch to NEVER mess with my man!_

"Sometime today, please, Midna, we have work to do."

Midna, inwardly thankful that she had worked so hard on her acting, looked ashamed and said, "You're right...I apologize, Link. I should have had better control of myself."

Link frowned. _THAT is definitely not like Midna. She's never been one to just accept defeat like that. She's planning something, and whatever it is, it will not be beneficial to this mission. I'd better warn Samus to stay on her guard. _

He gave Samus a significant look before releasing both women. Midna rubbed her belly and winced a bit. It hadn't been pleasent being frozen to the wall like that. Samus understood Link's look and when the hook shot uncoiled, she rubbed her arms a bit tenderly. The cord in that hook shot was quite rough.

* * *

A few minutes later, Samus met Link under a pillar. "What is it Link, you look a bit troubled."

Link frowned. "Midna's acceptance of defeat bothers me. That isn't like her. She's _never _been one to accept defeat like that, especially from me."

Samus smiled a bit. "I take it you two had a lot of arguements during the Zant crisis?"

Link grinned ruefully. "You have no idea. She _always_ was bitching about something, and I have to say, it annoyed the fuck outta me, cos no matter how often I pointed the flaws in her arguement, and trust me there were a _lot_, she never admitted she was wrong and just kept arguing her point."

Samus looked thoughtful. "So this acceptance of defeat is like, completely put of character for her."

"Exactly. It can only mean she's planning something, and given the past events of the last 24 hours, it can't be anything good at all."

Samus thought hard. _So in other words, she's just acting like she's defeated and over Link so that we can assume everything is settled, just so she can form some kind of plan to break me and Link up or something. That bitch sure doesn't know how to take a hint. I would have thought it was rather blindingly obvious that Link loves me and me alone, 100%, and no other woman, no matter how beautiful, can take him from me. _

Link's thoughts were similar. _I don't understand why Midna can't accept, just for once, that in this, she needs to admit she's wrong. I see her as a friend and nothing more, and she should know that by now. I love Samus and Samus alone. _

Out loud, Samus asked, "So what do we do?"

"Just keep on your guard," Link replied, "Midna is capable of doing some serious damage if she wants to, and trust me, with a temper like hers, there's no telling what she'll do. And considering how jealous she is at the moment, there's no telling what she's willing to do as a result. So, really, the question is not what she _will_ do. It's what she _won't_ do."

Samus nodded. _I will most definitely keep on my guard. I will NOT let this bitch get the best of me._

Link placed his hand on Samus's shoulder. "Come, we need to meet up with Shadow when Midna's done changing."

Samus nodded and followed him back to the great hall.

* * *

Meanwhile, Midna was in a terrible and yet totally silent fit of rage. _That blonde bitch! Does she seriously think she can take my Link away from me?! I don't fucking think so!_

Midna stripped naked and looked at herself in the mirror, turning round and round to get a good look at every curve on her body. _I know Link doesn't focus on looks, but fuck it all, he's a MAN for fuck's sake! My boobs are at LEAST four sizes bigger than hers, AND I have a bigger ass!_

Midna looked down at her breasts and cupped them. _It was these beauties that seduced him last time...why not now? _

Midna thought hard, and grinned, an idea finally striking her thoughts.

_The next time I get link alone with me, he won't be able to resist. I will get my Link back no matter what!_

Little did Midna know that at that very moment, someone was listening to her thoughts.

_Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinteresting, _the listener thought, _so it seems that poor little Midna here is jealous of Link's girlfriend. Peeeeeeeeerfect. _The listener smiled wickedly. _Now's my chance to get back at them for humiliating me!_

* * *

**YESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYE SYESYESYES!**

**Chapter 16 is now up for the reads!**

**Chapter 17 will be coming as soon as possible!**

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**Hope you enjoy!**

**Update as of June 17: Hey guys, I'm sorry for the delay on Chapter 17. My graduation ceremony was last Wednesday and I've been job hunting ceaselessly ever since, and I've only found time to check the story stats and occasionally answer a PM. Other than this I have not found very much time to be on FF at all. I thank you all for your feedback, those who have posted reviews on Chapters 15 and 16, and please continue to do so for my other chapters as well, if you haven't reviewed them yet! A Special shout-out to NoraStar and Arashi Kazakama for following _No Mistakes_ since chapter 1 and continuing to give their support!**

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	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Meanwhile, Shadow stood outside the palace, waiting impatiently for the other three. _What is taking them so long? They said one hour after sunrise and it's been three!_

Shadow was many things but he wasn't stupid. Nor was he blind. In fact, he was quite a perceptive individual and took pride in that fact. It had failed to escape his attention and perception that Midna was jealous of Samus, and he was beyond less than pleased by this fact. _It's a problem, plain and simple, and one that needs to be sorted out NOW before it ruins everything. We're running out of time fast. Every minute we're not searching for the Emeralds is a minute wasted and they all know it. We need to get moving NOW._

Shadow hated to admit it, even to himself, but he found the Twilight Queen very attractive, and her jealousy of Samus alone told him a lot. She was obviously not one to accept defeat, and it was clear that she despised competition. She was, more obviously, quite vain, as anyone with one eye and half a brain could see in her appearance. Her face had no flaws, her body was obviously well taken-care-of, and she seemed to take a lot of pride in her curves. Shadow, whatever he said to the contrary, found Midna very alluring, and it frustrated him. He knew that to develop feelings for her would created a flaw in his character that Black Doom could exploit in a heart beat. It frustrated him that, of all times, he had chosen _now_ to start lusting, for that's all it really was, lust. So Shadow told himself. _I'm impressed by her figure, that's all it is. She's nothing like me and I have no time to develop feelings for someone else now. Maria was my love, and she died. I will love no one else. _

Just as he thought this, the gates flew open and Link, Samus, and Midna exited the palace, Link in full garb, Samus in her Fusion Suit, and Midna in leather pants, a black traveling coat, and a plain shirt underneath. Shadow stood as he watched them approach.

"About time you three showed up," Shadow growled, "You're two hours late. What kept you?"

Link and Samus exchanged glances before Link replied, "We had a bit of a problem, it was nothing we couldn't handle."

"What sort of problem?"

"Midna."

That was all Shadow needed. _Fan-fucking-tastic, so Midna lost her temper and we've lost two hours. Fuck! Could we get any less mature?!_

Samus broke his thoughts. "It's settled now, let's just get moving." And with that, she and Link set off. "Shadow, you're the one the connection to the Emeralds, we need you up front!"

Shadow shook himself and took the lead while Link and Samus trekked close behind with Midna at the rear. Midna was deep in thought, trying to formulate a plan.

Even as she began thinking of something, a gut impulse overtook her, a deep primeval impulse to attack Samus then and there. Even as she tried to resist it, a low growling voice echoed in her mind.

_Attack her, now. you know you want to just do it._

Midna, whatever she wanted, knew that now was not the right time. _No, I can't, it's too soon, I can't attack now..._

_Attack her. Do it. _

_No! It's not the right time, not the opportune moment..._

_Attack! NOW!_

Midna screamed in agony aloud as a mental attack started. The other three whirled around, startled as Midna fell to her knees, grasping her head in her hands and yelling out in pain.

Link was the most alarmed. "Midna, what..."

"GET OUT OF MY HEAD! WHATEVER THE FUCK YOU ARE, GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HEAD!"

This outburst told Link enough to deduce who it was that was mentally attacking Midna. Link drew the Master Sword and pointed it at Midna's head, the tip flaring with energy. Link inhaled and bellowed, "OUT OF HER NOW!"

A dark shadow immediately burst from Midna's head, and took form. Link knew who it was instantly.

It was Dark Link.

"YOU!"

This was all Link could say before Dark Link attacked. Link, thankful to the Goddesses that his reflexes had been fully honed and refined, blocked the blow effortlessly and took out his shield. Dark Link attacked again and again, trying to gain an advantage as he rained blow after blow after blow on Link. Link was too quick on blocked every attack. But he wasn't quick enough to attack.

Even as he realized this, Shadow came behind and hit Dark Link in the back with a homing attack. Hard. As Dark Link turned on him, a missile came from his left and struck him, detonating on impact and sending him several meters away. Link seized this opportunity and flared the Master Sword with energy, running at lightning speed to Dark Link and trapping him in a vortex of triangle-shaped energy, and began raining a barrage of blows on Dark Link, each blow giving off a loud, sickening thud as it collided with Dark Link. Link drew back one more time and delivered one last blow more powerful than the others all combined, sending Dark Link face first onto the ground, paralyzed completely. Link had hit all his pressure points.

Dark Link struggled to speak. "You...how could you tell..."

Link forced the Master Sword into the ground centimeters from Dark Link's left temple. "You weren't exactly low-profiled, Dark," Link replied. "You always were irrational when it came to timing. That's how I beat you in Hyrule's Water Temple. And I've beaten you again."

Samus walked up. "If you were trying to delay us from reaching the Emerald, you attacked the wrong person."

Shadow joined them, enraged. He gave Link a questioning look.

Link nodded. "Give it to him, Shadow."

Shadow flared, drawing on what powers he had conserved from the Chaos Emeralds and flared with red aura. Link and Samus took cover, pointedly dragging Midna with them.

"Chaoooooooooos...BLAST!" Focusing his energy to his fist, Shadow punched Dark Link full in the face, incinerating him instantly.

Link and Samus came out as Shadow calmed down.

"Well," Shadow said, "That felt good."

Link was not smiling. "Don't get confident yet. We're still trapped in the woods."

Shadow eyed him. "Why do you say that?"

"Because now Black Doom knows exactly where we are."

Silence fell on the group as the implications of this sunk in.

* * *

**WHOOHOOHOO! IT'S ME!**

**lol'in. Sorry guys, had to do that, heard it in a video. **

**Anywho...**

**YESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYES**

**Chapter 17 is up!**

**Read and review, please?! Thank you!**


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

As the implications of Link's words sank in, Shadow's mind blasted into overdrive. He knew that he wasn't exactly powerless against Doom, but he had just drained himself against Dark Link, and the more he thought about it, the more hopeless the situation seemed.

His thoughts hadn't gotten far before he realized that Link and Samus were glaring hard at him. "What?" he snarled.

Link's reply was equally sharp. "You've been lying to us Shadow."

Shadow glared daggers into Link's indomitable gaze. "You have no proof of that statement."

Samus's glare was as hard as Link's, of not more so. "You told us that you had a connection with the Chaos Emeralds, but you said nothing about being able to draw their power at will. We've been going on and on about finding the Emeralds for nothing. Why didn't you tell us?"

Shadow opened his fanged mouth to retort and then shut it as he realized that he himself didn't know why he hadn't told them. At the same time, why hadn't they called it out sooner? It was obvious that they had known...so why hadn't they said anything? Shadow's thoughts were mirrored in Link's and Samus's expressions of confusion.

The answer came crashing down on all three of them even as Midna stirred feebly on the ground.

Dark Link had been manipulating them from the beginning. He was why they had overlooked multiple crucial facts pertaining to how to defeat Black Doom. He was the reason they had chosen the Twilight Realm first. He had known Midna would be jealous of Link's love for Samus and used it to control her and attempt to kill Samus and leave Link despairing, making him an easy target for Dark Link to take over and kill Shadow, Midna, AND himself. The contingency plan had been to attack Midna mentally and provoke Link into fighting him, and he had known that Samus would attack and that Shadow would finish him off using Chaos energy, a ploy that would immediately alert Black Doom to their location. From the very beginning they had been walking, inadvertently, into a trap of their own.

There was nothing else for it. They had to run. They were in no condition to fight Black Doom, and every moment they wasted brought Black Doom closer.

Shadow broke the silence. "We have to run. Now. Black Doom is on his way."

Link looked at him. "How do you know?"

Shadow could feel that part of him attached to Black Doom practically boiling. "I can feel when he's near. A side-effect of having been made with his blood."

Link knew Shadow was telling the truth and Samus was already ahead of them when Link picked up Midna's unconscious form and took off after her, Shadow close behind. Link opened the Twilight portal and When Shadow had caught up, he threw himself in, with Samus and Shadow following close behind.

Moments later they were outside the SSB Facility. The place was unrecognizable. The front doors had been torn from their hinges and signs of a colossal battle were everywhere. Sections of the roof were ripped off and debris littered the ground for miles in every direction. The medical area, fortunately, was undamaged. Link, Shadow, and Samus rushed in the now-destroyed facility.

In the medical area, Link laid Midna on one of the medical beds and hooked her up to an IV and vital monitors. Samus sank into the nearest chair, exhausted. Shadow remained standing, looking morbidly grim. Link discarded his shield and sat down next to Samus and held her hand.

"Hello? Is someone there?" a familiar voice called out. Link stared at Samus wide-eyed. He knew the voice.

Link got up and dashed to the door and opened it. It was Solid Snake, looking haggard and tired. Link supported the exhausted espionage and helped him to a chair. Samus, alerted to the presence of a survivor, got up and helped Snake sit.

"Snake! What the hell happened?" Link asked.

Snake shook his head. "The Black Arms. They caught us all off guard. None of us were prepared for the assault."

Shadow stepped in. "When did they attack?"

"Two days ago," Snake replied, "They came out of nowhere. A lot of us managed to retaliate, and Megaman, R.O.B., Falco, Fox, and Wolf all fought like hell. The others were unprepared and immediately taken prisoner. Megaman fought the hardest, especially after Wii Trainer got taken. It was unbelievable. He took out nearly a fourth of the Black Arms force by himself, but he was overwhelmed by sheer numbers. I'd never seen anything like it."

"Do you know where they were taken?" Samus asked.

Snake shook his head. "If I did, I'd have gone after them, but after Megaman was taken, there was nothing I could do but feign death, which wasn't hard considering I was pinned by the containment area doors, which were blasted off their hinges when the Black Arms soldiers released all the Polygon figures and Wire Frames. They've been running rampant ever since, reeking havoc everywhere they go. I've been trying to track them, but there are too many to focus on one at a time. by the time I'd have found one, the others would have already done who knows what."

Link was horrified. Shadow looked more grim than ever. "So now what?"

Link replied. "Now we need to recover, replenish our strength. Our only hope now is to attack Black Doom directly." He turned to Shadow. "It's high time you told us everything about your Chaos powers."

Shadow nodded. "With Dark Link at the helm, I couldn't have. My connection with the Chaos Emeralds allows me to draw on their power at will, but my limiter rings limit the amount I can take in, and it takes up to 24 hours for me to replenish what I lose."

"Why can't you remove them?" Samus asked.

"Because the amount of power that flows through my body without them limiting it may strengthen me beyond any limits, but the damage it does to my body is catastrophic. If I remove my limiters for too long, the amount of power going through me will eventually kill me."

Link now understood why Shadow was so feared. "So how much power can you draw on with the limiters on?"

"Enough to take Black Doom at his peak. But it'd have to be a quick fight because with the limiters, I can't replenish my power in combat."

"Do you have to remove all four?" Snake asked.

"No, but I've never tried only removing one or two."

Link thought for a moment and looked at the room at large. "It's our only hope. We have to attack Black Doom directly if we're going to attack him at all. The sooner the better."

Snake nodded. "When do we move out?"

"Tomorrow."

* * *

**THE END IS NEAR!**

**Lol'in. In all seriousness, the final battle will soon commence! Who will be victorious? Who will the final combatants be? **

**Find out in Chapter 19, the beginning of the end!**

**Please read and review!**


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Link awoke in the early hours of the morning, a splitting headache hitting him instantly and causing him to nearly clutch his head in agony. Link curled up for a moment, suffering in silence until his headache subsided, and sat up, rubbing his temples with the air of one suffering massive mental strain.

And indeed, that wasn't the only strain Link was undergoing. Link's entire body ached as though from a vicious beating. He had quite forgotten how much strain it put on his body to go from dimension to dimension the way he had been for nearly a week now. Lack of sleep and lack of full nourishment gave Link a slightly gaunt look. Dark shadows were under his vividly blue eyes, and his skin had a slightly grey-ish tinge to it. His beard was unshaven and hair was ruffled badly, and he was in dire need of a change of clothes.

_As if I didn't have enough on my plate without hygiene issues,_ Link though, exasperated. Standing up with a low groan, Link staggered sleepily through the wrecked facility til he reached his chamber, which, miraculously, was hardly damaged. Taking a closer look around him, most of the back area of the facility was undamaged, and the power obviously still worked. It was only towards the front of the place that the facility had taken heavy damage.

Link entered his chamber and began ruffling through his dresser, extracting his white tunic from the confines of his personal armory. _How fitting, that I should wear my white armor to fight Black Doom,_ he thought, grimly amused by the coincidence. Link sighed and thought he might as well, and donned his white garb with reverence, remembering what it had taken to obtain it.

Washed, shaved, and garbed, Link returned to the medical area, where Samus was just starting to awake. Link smiled as his love stirred and sat up, taking a moment to wake up thoroughly before noticing Link in his white garb.

"Rather fitting attire considering our mission," Samus noted with humor. Link chuckled grimly.

"Indeed. It's almost _too_ fitting."

Samus silently agreed. Grunting, she stood up and walked to her chamber, saying over her shoulder, "I'm gonna go change myself. I'm sure we're all needing to by this point." Link agreed and sat down next to the deeply meditating Shadow, whom had not stirred throughout the exchange and was sitting cross-legged with a deep scowl tainting his features as he breathed in and out deeply.

Samus went to her chamber, isolated on the far end of the facility and began stripping down, removing her Zero Suit and entering her bathroom, which, thankfully, still had running hot water. As she unhooked her bra and stepped out of her panties, she thought back on what had happened, and the enormity of it all seemed to be weighing down on her. She had been in several crises before, but this, this was different. The Ridely Crisis had been bad, the Tabuu Crisis was bad, the Hand Crises, years back, had been _quite_ bad. But none of those came even close to comparing to this.

Black Doom was diabolical indeed to have executed such a deeply complicated plan, and the results were indeed devastating. Almost all of SSB was in captivity now, most likely having been turned back into trophies as they had been during the Hand Crises and the Tabuu Crisis. The Polygon Figures and Wire Frames had all been released from containment, and were now most likely reeking untold havoc everywhere they went. The Black Arms were out in full force, and Megaman might have taken out a good number of them, but there were still too many for just Samus, Link, Shadow, Snake, and Midna to take on alone.

As Samus quickly washed herself off, she cleared her mind of any doubts she might have and resolved to do everything she could to end this Crisis once and for all. As soon as she finished, she exited the shower and dressed in fresh underclothes and donned her original Zero Suit and then donned her original Power Suit that she had held on to since joining SSB. Holding her helmet under her arm, she trekked back to the medical area to find Link and Snake discussing tactical attack options. Shadow was sitting with them, listening in silence with his usual dark scowl on his face. Midna had not awoken since Dark Link's mental attack, and Samus wondered how long it would take her to recover.

Link looked up at her as she joined them. "Glad to have you here. Snake and I have been discussing plans of attack and need as much input as possible."

"We've already decided that I'll lead the attack," Shadow put in, "I'm partially attached to Doom and can easily find him. The only question is what we do _when_ we find him."

Snake nodded. "It will all depend on where he is. If he's anywhere other than some kind of base, then infiltration won't be an option and will only leave the option of frontal assault. And there, we have a problem."

Link nodded and said flatly, "The Black Arms Force is far too large for us to take head-on, even if we use any kind of mass-destructive weapon. There's simply too many, and that's not counting the Wire Frames and Polygon Figures."

Shadow put in. "Fortunately, we won't have to take them head-on unless worse comes worse. Black Doom's headquarters are too large for even a force as large as his to guard thoroughly."

"How do you know?" Samus inquired.

"After Doctor Robotnik was defeated by Sonic, his factories were abandoned and left to fall apart. Black Doom took them back and began expanding them so that they became a city in themselves. That's where the Wire Frames came from in the first place," Shadow replied.

Link pondered this information for a moment. "How well is it guarded?"

"It's most heavily guarded area is the Western Perimeter, the side that faces Westopolis. It's so heavily guarded, even the G.U.N. forces can't penetrate its defenses. On the opposite side, however, it's a different story. The Eastern Perimeter has minimal security and could be possible to infiltrate, but it's not that easy. With Black Doom, nothing is."

Link agreed. "We can no longer afford any more mistakes in this. We _have _to have a contingency plan in case things go awry, which they are likely to do, considering the enormity of this situation." He turned to Shadow. "It would be best if you saved your energy for the face-off against Black Doom. If you wanted you could blow away all the Perimeter defenses, but to do so would give away your position and expend a fair amount of your energy."

Snake lent a suggestion. "It were possible that if I could contact Raiden, he could plant stealth explosives around the Perimeter walls, which upon detonation would give the impression that we were attacking from the East, but we would instead infiltrate from the North and South, at different locations, which would possibly divide the Black Arms Forces enough for us to hold our own until we meet up in the prison area and free the rest of SSB and take on Black Doom united."

"The rest of SSB would be too exhausted to be of any help," Samus protested. "There has to be something else!"

Link thought hard, but no matter how he looked at it, the situation was bad. _The more I look at this, the less hopeful it seems, _he thought, _At this rate we'll have no choice but to wing it and hope things turn out for the best. But that's practically suicide, we can't afford any more mistakes._

Samus watched Link's thoughtful stance and felt for her love. _How the hell are we gonna pull this off if all other options fail us?_

_And How will we come out of it alive?_

* * *

**WOOHOOHOO!**

**Alright! So now the final showdown is near, and things are looking awful bad. Will they pull it off? Will they destroy Black Doom and the Black Arms for good?**

**Or will all come to ruin and Black Doom come out Victorious?**

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	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Massive pillars of smoke billowed into the night sky. The Robotnik Factorial Facility, once abandoned, was in full swing. What had once been 7 factories was now one massive site, covering the exact same amount of space as the Pyramids of Giza. It was a place that redefined the term "industrial scale". The place was sprawled over acre upon acre of land, and from the sky, looked like the silhouette of a colossal primeval beast.

Snake studied the facility from a distance, positioned on a clifftop more than 10 miles away and almost half a mile high. Even from his height, the place looked massive. Snake's night vision binoculars gave him a perfect view of the place, and sent its imagery back to the SSB headquarters, where Link, Samus and Shadow were gathered in the very conference room where the whole crisis had began. A hologram of everything Snake saw was projected into the middle of the room, giving a mutual view to everyone. Midna had still not regained consciousness and remain incapacitated in the medical area.

Link pressed the com button on the round table. "Alright Snake, we see it. What's the story here?"

Snake's voice was slightly distorted, but intelligible. "We're looking at a couple hundred-acre facility that has the capacity to contain the blast radius of a nuclear bomb, should the outer walls hold."

Samus stepped in. "How tall are the walls? What are the dimensions?"

"Judging by my distance? Around eighty feet high, it circumferences the entire facility, and I'd guess around 7 miles thick. Robotnik wasn't kidding when he said 'impenetrable'."

"What's the outlook on the Perimeter defenses?" Link inquired.

"Well, from here, it looks like it requires several battalions to..." Snake paused. "Oh, shit, we're so fucked..."

"What is it?" Samus asked.

"Remember the Polygon Figures and Wire Frames? How they're programmed to rely solely on their individual selves?"

"Yeah..."

"Well, I hate being the bearer of bad news, but looks like Doom's been tinkering and upgrading his design. They're marching along the Perimeter, triple-filed, up to thirty at a time, with about a hundred yards between the front and back of each column," Snake reported to the shock of the others.

"Are they patrolling the whole perimeter?" Shadow demanded.

Snake's answer came slow. "Not exactly. They seem to be guarding only certain parts of the place."

"What parts?" Link asked.

Snake's answer was longer in coming. "They're guarding small nuclear reactors the size of semi trailers."

Shadow grinned. This was better than he had hoped. He turned back towards the other two and said, "It's better than we thought."

Link had a similar grin but Samus was a tad confused. "Better? How?"

Shadow rolled his eyes. _Mercenaries. _"To put it shortly, Doom's been careless. The facility didn't have nuclear reactors when it was in Robotnik's possession. This explains why Doom had to expand it so far _and_ it explains why the Eclipse Station aimed for Central City instead of Westopolis. If he had fired the Super Laser onto Westoplis, the shock-wave would have torn down the perimeter walls and the cores in the reactors would have melted down and there'd have been no Wire Frames, like he had apparently intended from the beginning. If just one of those cores melted down, the blast would be powerful enough to level the entire facility, _and_ seven miles of 80-foot concrete walls would contain the blast and keep the radiation from dispersing outwards. The other reactors would melt down and the result? No more factory." Shadow finished his monologue with the biggest shit-eating grin Link had ever seen on him, and now even Samus was grinning widely at this.

Snake broke in. "The difficulty won't be getting in. Black Doom managed to keep his design from being self-aware, because otherwise these things would be all over the place. Our difficulty will be getting _out_. Those walls will be very difficult to scale, though if Raiden does his job right, we'll be fine."

Shadow's grin turned down. "Our only real problem is getting the rest of SSB out of there. Black Doom is after me, but he's definitely sure to have guards in the prison area. To not do so would be uncharacteristic to the point of paradox."

"There's an even bigger danger," Link put in, "It's gambling very short odds to say that Black Doom will be holding SSB close to his proximity at all times, such that in order to get to them, we have to go to him." He looked Shadow in the eyes. "Are you still willing to follow through with your plan should this be the case?"

Shadow hesitated and nodded.

Link sighed. What we need is _time_. We won't have enough even if all goes according to plan. We need a diversion."

A barking British-accented yell came from the entrance. "You can leave _that _to me."

All three of the heroes turned to the entrance. A Twili man stood in the doorway. A bird-like helm addorned his head, and his two bright yellow eyes stared out at them.

Zant.

"Zant?!" Link stood up with a start. "How the fuck did _you_ get here?!"

Zant grinned. "Midna sent me a telepathic message before she blacked out. Said you'd all need a hand while she was in her coma."

"Coma?" Shadow ask sharply.

Zant nodded gravely. "Dark Link's attack on her mind caused her to shut down. She's not dead, yet, anyways, but chances are she won't be waking up til this affair is done with."

Link grinned. _This keeps getting better and better. _"I was wondering if I'd ever see you after Gannondorf released you."

Zant grinned back. "I did too, but you know..." A wicked gleam flashed in Zant's eye. "You all could use a nutcase like me."

Link couldn't agree more. He turned back to Shadow. "So now that we have a chance to get this done quickly with time to spare, what do you say? Are we gonna do this?"

Shadow grinned and stood. "Let's fuckin' do it. Let's take that three-eyed sonofabitch down."

Samus stood and eyed Zant suspiciously. "How are you going to buy us time?"

Zant's helm closed, sealing his face entirely. "You'll see." His grin was heard in his voice.

Link placed his hand out, his TriForce brand facing up. Samus came forward and placed her hand on his. Zant came and placed his gauntlet-covered hand on Samus's. Shadow hesitated for a fraction of a second, and placed his hand on Zant's.

Link exhaled. "Let's go. We've got a job to do."

* * *

**Two in one day! WOOHOOHOO! Been a while since I did that!**

**Hope you all are enjoying this and I hope to hear your opinions on this chapter and any other chapters anyone found interesting.**

**Plot's thickening, people, don't go away now!**

**Read and review!**


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

The sun was beginning to set over the horizon. The Westopolis skyline was silhouetted by the massive orb of light. Off in the distance, a solitary figure was standing on a high rise that overlooked the Robotnik Factorial Facility.

Zant was standing next to a massive speaker system that was hooked to a single iPod that lay on the ground. Zant had just put the finishing touches to the system and started scrolling through the playlist that he was supposed to play as the signal for the attack to initiate. The playlist ran like this:

"Fueur Frei!" by Rammstein

"Bodies" by Drowning Pool

"Superbeast" by Rob Zombie

"Children of Decadence" by Children of Bodom

"Here to Stay" by Korn

The playlist was short but would by the others enough time to infiltrate the facility unnoticed. As Zant looked it over he began to second guess his idea. It was true that he'd had outlandish ideas before, but this had to take the cake. Using a five-song playlist to distract thousands of Wire Frames was something he'd never tried before, and the others had been skeptical right off the bat. But since no one else had any other ideas on how to distract a force this large, no one had questioned Zant's idea.

Zant shook himself, and waited. He was to wait until the Wire Frame patrol forces changed shifts and gathered at the West side of the facility before starting the music, and they were just starting to move. _Not much longer_, Zant thought. He waited for several minutes to give the forces time.

Just as the last of the Wire Frames fell into place, Zant hit 'play'.

Down at the facility, the opening keyboard lines went unnoticed, but then an explosion of sound shattered the calm silence as the intro of "Fueur Frei" blasted from the speakers. The force of the sound was such that Zant was flattened by its force.

The blast of music startled the Wire Frames and they all turned as one towards the massive sound waves emitting from the plateau overlooking the massive factory. The ones who had authority over the lesser Wire Frames started barking orders at them in their metallic language, ordering them to move towards the sound and find its source. The Wire Frames started gravitating towards the West gate as the music boomed on, and on the North and Southern sides, Link, Samus, Snake, and Shadow moved in towards the perimeter walls, Link and Samus on the South side, Snake and Shadow on the North. Raiden had infiltrated the facility hours ago disguised as a supply deliverer in the supply train that came by with food, ammunition, explosives, and other supplies for the place. He was now at the crane control center and was lowering hydraulics that would assist the others in infiltrating the place. Link and Samus leaped from platform to platform, scaling the massive wall with ease. On the North side, Snake and Shadow were already in and well hidden. As Link and Samus reached the other side, they activated the first of their cloaking devices, hiding them from all but infrared vision.

As the teams made their infiltration, Zant executed part two of his diversion and hid under the plateau, holding a C4 detonator switch and waiting for the Wire Frames to reach the summit. He didn't have to wait very long. The entire Wire Frame patrol force reached the summit in moments, and the moment they reached the speakers, Zant pulled a very close-called stunt.

"FIRE IN THE HOLE!" he yelled and jumped on the plateau, hitting the switch and detonating the C4 attached to the back of the speakers, the resulting explosion wiping out the entire Wire Frame force.

_FOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!_

Down in the facility, the force taking the place of the other force that had just been destroyed was diverted by the sound of the massive explosion and began moving, just as the other force had, towards the source of the sound.

Zant grinned as he landed lightly on the ground. _That oughta buy them enough time. _Zant then waited for the second patrol force to move out of the west gate, and the moment they did, he slipped in and, disposing of the gate guard Polygon Figure, shut the gate and locked it behind the 3,000 wire frames that had just exited the facility._  
_

Warning sirens began blaring throughout the facility. Zant cracked his neck as the Cruel Frames began moving towards him. _Now it gets hard. _Not giving the Wire Frames any chance to land a blow, Zant sent a massive blast of energy into their midst, scattering them. He then began methodically disposing of them at lightning speed, Frame after frame going out with a blast, quite literally.

Deep within the facility, alarms began blaring, and the dark lord himself, Black Doom, burst from his chamber. The massive, three-eyed alien Warlord floated several feet off the ground, his embroidered cloak swishing over the ground as he stormed into the control center.

"What the blazes is going on?!" he shouted, his deep growl causing his Black Arms Soldiers to cringe. One look at the main monitor was all he needed. Wire Frames were disappearing like mad.

"Shadow..." the Warlord growled, his deep voice barely more than a whisper. He turned to his soldiers. "Shadow is here! FIND HIM!"

The Black Arms Soldiers began assembling in the center of the facility, big and small, and were getting ready to disperse and search for Shadow when a bomb landed in their midst, exploding and destroying several of them. At the same time, an RPG flew from the opposite direction, killing more of them. A missile came from the adjacent direction, and chaos reigned. The soldiers scattered, trying to find enemies they couldn't see as more projectiles came seemingly from nowhere and destroyed their forces.

Black Doom was enraged at the turn of events. Fuming, he grabbed the nearest microphone and bellowed, "DEPLOY ALL FORCES! SEND ALL AVAILABLE SOLDIERS TO BATTLE! KILL EVERYONE YOU FIND, BUT BRING SHADOW THE HEDGEHOG TO ME! ALIVE AND UNHURT!"

Chaos reigned. The Black Arms soldiers began mobilizing in their full force, column upon column marching out of the depths of the massive factory.

From his place, Raiden saw that the Black Arms were setting sentries at the reactors. As more and more and more black alien troops emerged, Raiden became dismayed at their sheer numbers.

_If they don't get inside NOW, they'll be overrun. Black Doom must be angry indeed if he's sending his full force to find Shadow and kill everyone else._

_I have to do something...this isn't a good start at all..._

As he thought this, a blast of energy illuminated the West gate, and the Black Arms, attracted to the sound and light, began moving in droves towards it. Soon, the entire force was gravitating to the West Gate, where Zant was.

Raiden knew what was coming before it happened. A massive ball of energy expanded from the gate and an eighth of the aliens were sucked into it. Instead of expanding however, the energy contracted inward and imploded, crushing the aliens within it in seconds.

_Guess it's not so bad a start after all._

* * *

**WHOOHOOHOO!**

**The battle begins!**

**Hope you all enjoy this. You should expect Chapter 22 within the week, I have this ending all planned out.**

**Read and review, plz!**


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Pandemonium.

The Robotnik Factorial Facility was in chaos. The Black Arms were continuing to stream almost endlessly from the innermost depths of the factory. Zant was attempting to lure the black alien soldiers from the infiltrators, but as more and more alien soldiers streamed from their barracks, hidden deep within in the confines of the massive fortress, more and more of them were able to search for the intruders.

Link and Samus were finding it more and more difficult to avoid being caught by the aliens. They had exhausted their supply of cloaking devices due to the massive industrial scale of the factory. They had been attaching timed bombs to the nuclear reactors, not plastic explosives like the C4 Zant had used, but small heat charges that would generate enough force to melt down the reactor cores and cause a chain reaction that would be contained within the perimeter walls. They had meant to do the task in stealth, but with battalion upon battalion of Black Arms Forces streaming from within the factory, that was becoming more and more difficult.

As Samus planted their last charge, a massive alien rounded the corner and spotted her. With a loud roar, the massive alien charged. Samus scrambled to complete the charge start, but there wasn't enough time to do so and ready her cannon. As Samus braced herself for the attack, an arrow came flying out of nowhere, striking the alien the chest and instantly freezing him in place, encased in a cocoon of ice. Link dropped from the nearest building and held his hand out to Samus.

"Need and hand?" he asked with an imp-ish grin. Samus took his hand and grunted as she stood up.

"Thanks. Where are Snake and Shadow?"

"I just got a com from Snake, they've finished planting their own explosives. We have to meet them at the crane where Raiden is."

Samus nodded. "Let's go."

This task, however, proved to be even more difficult. Even as they rounded the corner, several of the smaller Black Arms rushed up the gap between the buildings, and upon seeing the two warriors, roared and charged. Samus charged her cannon and fired. An orb of pure electricity struck the lead alien in the chest, and, using its nervous system, amplified and struck all the aliens standing behind it. Link stared at the carnage that that single electric ball had caused and then turned to Samus.

"Remind me to never piss you off," he said grimly.

Samus grinned under her helmet. "Noted."

With that, the couple moved through the labyrinth of buildings, fighting off more and more of the Black Arms as more and more of them emerged. Link was aghast at their numbers. _How many of these fuckers ARE there?!_ No matter how many he and Samus killed, more and more kept coming, two more replacing each one they killed. Link had faced massive numbers of enemies before, but that was nothing to this. Never in his life had he fought so many at once, and his weapons were limited. Samus was fighting harder than she had ever fought before, having to use the smallest of her projectile weapons, as she found no time to charge for anything larger.

On the other side of the facility, the situation was very similar. Snake and Shadow were fighting tooth and nail to stay alive and keep moving. Shadow was the faster of the two, and having fought the Black Arms before, was far more familiar with how to kill these aliens, and was taking out legions of them at a time at lightning speed. Snake, while not as fast, was just as tough, and his teeth were bared in a snarl as he took down aliens in every way he could, tossing grenades, using his copter to drop on them from above, and using every martial arts combo he could to keep the aliens from gaining any advantage.

Slowly, but steadily, the two teams made their way to the crane, with Zant making his way there as well, using his power, augmented now by the Fused Shadows, to draw great numbers of the invaders into his energy, compressing it and imploding it, taking out a single battalion with one attack.

Finally, after fighting through the masses of aliens for what seemed like hours, the five fighters made it to the crane, and as the mass of aliens charged, a massive, several ton cinder-block dropped down on top of them, crushing the entire legion and forming a barrier between them and the heroes behind it. The crane lowered down, Raiden at the helm.

"Figured some extra weight could be added to the mix," he quipped. Snake ran to the controls of the crane, looking at the display on the dashboard.

"Can this thing access the mainframe?" Snake asked.

Raiden nodded the affirmative. "It can but it's very restricted. We'll need to hack it."

Samus moved forward. "Move over." Snake scrambled out and Samus sat at the controls. She pressed several buttons on her wrist and several wires extended out and plugged into the USB ports on the dash, hacking into the system and accessing the mainframe in moments. "What do I look for?"

"Find the prison area, and locate Black Doom," Shadow said.

Samus tweaked a few switches and a map of the facility came up, with Samus's commands systematically causing it to locate the prison area.

After a few moments, Samus said, "The prison level is in one of the lower levels. Level 26B, center area."

"Where's Black Doom?" Snake inquired. Samus flicked two more switches.

"He's on the move. He's heading to the main building at the center of the facility. Strange...he's keeping below the surface..." She looked over at Shadow. Shadow crossed his arms.

"He's doing exactly what I thought he would. He's headed to the Central Chamber, positioned directly over the prison area, 35 meters below sea level. He's making it such that we have to go to him in order to get to the rest of SSB."

"Not _all_ the rest of them," came a teenage voice. Shadow looked up and moved out the way as Sonic the Hedgehog dropped down from the nearest building.

"Sonic?!" Samus exclaimed, "How'd you escape?"

Sonic grinned. "They never caught me. I was too fast. I've been in hiding since, and I faked my death to fool Black Doom into thinking I was not longer a problem."

Shadow smiled grimly, looking more as though he was grimacing. "Well, I shoulda guessed they'd fail to get you. You always _have_ had a way of avoiding capture."

Sonic grinned. "So what's been up with you guys?"

Link, Samus, and Shadow quickly explained the events that had transpired, taking several minutes to explain Black Doom's plan. When they finished, even happy-go-lucky Sonic looked grim.

"So what's the plan?"

"Well, it's looking like we're gonna have to split up to get to the prison area," Link said. "Snake, Zant, and Raiden, you guys find an alternate route to the prison area, there's gotta be multiple ways to get in. Sonic, Shadow, Samus and I will deal with Black Doom." From his pocket Link produced a detonator and handed it to Snake. "When the rest of SSB is out, wait until my signal to blow the charges. Once those charges blow, we have four minutes to get out of here before the cores melt down, so we'll have to be fast."

Link looked around at each and every one of the few SSB members who had been his closest companions in this crisis. "It's been an honor fighting with all of you. If all else fails, Snake, and we can't best Doom, blow the charges and get Samus to safety."

Samus stared at Link. "Link,what are you saying?! I'm not leaving you!"

Link looked at his love sadly. "Samus, I don't want you to die. If Doom can't be beat then you need to get out of here. I won't have you..." Link never finished his sentence, for as he said this, Samus pulled off her helmet and planted a big kiss on his lips. Link's eyes widened momentarily as Samus kissed him.

Samus part the kiss after a few moments. "I will not leave you in there, Link. No matter what happens, i'm not leaving you."

Link sighed. "We can't afford mistakes here, Samus."

Samus smiled. "Then let's make sure none are made."

Link looked around at the others. "Let's do it, guys. No mistakes."

Snake, Raiden and Zant nodded and took off in one direction while Samus, Link, Shadow, and Sonic headed for the central building.

Little did they know it, but only six of them would make it out alive.

* * *

**WOOHOOHOO!**

**Alright! Hope you like this!**

**I'm sorry it took longer than i planned for it to, but i've had lots going on, and atm I'm trying to do a lot at once, so...**

**Anywho, hope you all are enjoying this! remember to read and review!**

**_Update as of August 13, 2013_: I am so sorry for the long delay on Chapter 23. Is there an excuse? Well, I can hardly justify delaying what my fans want, but all I can really is that I'm really hating my life at the moment and I am battling a massive depression that is threatening to take over. I'd rather not put what's eating me out there, for personal reasons, but, I will say that the lack of support that I am currently undergoing outside of and the other websites that I frequent during my time online is really starting to hurt and get under my skin. I'm feeling pressured in nearly every aspect of my life. I've been trying so hard to make decisions that could effect my future as a whole, and, truthfully, all of it is crashing down on me and I feel insignificant and worthless in the eyes of those whom I should be getting support from. I barely have the emotional and mental strength to check my email, which is just sad. I am so sorry, guys. I'm trying.**


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